Pigeons are blighting an alleyway running from Whitstable high street to the beach, with pedestrians forced to “paddle through excrement” or find a different route.

People have complained that Bonners Alley, which runs between Middle Wall and High Street, is covered in pigeon droppings and regularly floods due to blocked drains caused by feathers and other debris.

Members of the Friends of the Over 60 service, which is located in Waterloo Road, said they often had to walk over slippery bird mess or paddle through “diluted pigeon excrement” to reach the centre.

In a letter to Canterbury City Council signed by more than 20 people, they described the alleyway as “unpleasant” and questioned what impression it gave to tourists.

Hazel May, who is on the committee at the centre, said: “It’s dangerous when it rains. It’s slippery and it floods because the drains are blocked up with the mess from the pigeons.

“It’s swept about once a fortnight but it quickly builds up again.”

She said some buildings had spikes to deter the birds, but these moved the pigeons onto buildings running on either side of the alleyway, which did not have them.

In their letter, the group said the pavement became covered in “droppings, feathers and all sorts of muck from the nests”, adding: “These block the drains, which are woefully inadequate anyway.

“When it rains, the alleyway floods and we either have to risk paddling through diluted pigeon excrement or have to turn around and use one of the other alleyways.

“This alleyway is situated between two food shops. In dry weather there must be dust, which enters these shops, which probably contain pathogens.”

The group wrote to MP Julian Brazier and his senior parliamentary assistant Hilary Dannatt responded in his absence.

She said: “I know he would be concerned about the health risks inherent in the presence of so many pigeons and their excrement and I have therefore written to the council, asking that he should receive a copy of their response in due course.”

Spokesman for the council Celia Glynn-Williams said the authority had been made aware of the problems.

She said: “Our environmental health team will be taking a look at the situation and the extent of the problem this week.

“We will probably need to involve Southern Water to look into any problems with the sewer and, if necessary, we could then carry out a complete jet wash of the alley to remove any mess that’s there at the moment.

“This would be the safest and most effective way to carry out any clean-up.”

She said owners of properties by the alley needed to take action to try to control the presence of pigeons and resolve issues with drains or downpipes discharging into the alley.