Caught on camera: Secret film shows rounding-up ahead of 200 geese cull by Sandwell Council

The move has prompted outrage from bird lovers - who secretly filmed pest control workers ushering the wildfowl into a van in Victoria Park in Tipton.

The video - recorded by Ian Carroll, a member of Sandwell Swanwatch:

Ian Carroll, of Sandwell Swanwatch, said the decision to kill the 220 birds is the worst incident he has seen in his 17 years of rescuing geese in the area.

Councillor Maria Crompton, cabinet member for highways and environment, said the killings were carried out as humanely as possible and as a last resort.

Mr Carroll said: "I am utterly staggered by the numbers of geese that have been killed.

"I have spent the last 17 years rescuing swans and wildfowl in Sandwell who have been maimed by other animals or wanton acts of violence at the hands of thugs.

"But this action by the council is worse than all of these incidents put together."

The wildlife rescuer secretly filmed the workers ushering the birds, including baby goslings, into a van to be taken away and killed.

He had submitted a Freedom of Information request to the council who admitted they had humanely killed the geese.

Mr Carroll added: "I asked the pest controllers what they were doing and they said they were ringing their feet and putting pest powder on them, but I knew that couldn't be the case.

"I spoke to the park ranger and he told me they were being taken to Sandwell Valley Country Park and he even sent me a picture of them supposedly being released at the park."

The council culled 150 geese in 2013 from Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich and Victoria Park in Tipton, with a further 70 being culled this year from Victoria Park.

Councillor Crompton said the council had used a pest control firm, who were licensed by watchdog Natural England, to kill the birds, which was done away from the public eye.

She said: "The geese were taken to a discrete place completely away from public view, in line with accepted methods.

"Clearly, we wouldn't have wanted people to see this happening in the park.

"No-one would want to have to do this – but unfortunately, as a responsible authority, we had no choice but to reduce the number of Canada Geese at these two parks.

"I'm very sad we had to do this but people's safety and public health are paramount.

"We have done this as a last resort and as humanely as possible in response to repeated complaints and real concerns from park users, including parents of young children."

Councillor Crompton added that the number of geese had got out of control, with more than 1,000 birds in Sandwell's parks.

She said: "We're trying to re-introduce more ornamental ducks back into the formal parks – but before we do, we need to control the numbers of Canada Geese to acceptable levels."

She said the council had written to Mr Carroll offering a meeting with him to discuss his concerns.