25 tons of birddroppings areremoved at Rye

A specialist company was called in by Rother District Council to deal with the problem at Landgate Arch.

The sheer weight of bird droppings have meant it has been impossible for contractors to get inside the Arch and repair its broken clock.

The bird guano can also damage timber and stonework due to its acidity.

CountyClean Environmental Services started a major clean-up operation to uncover the original stonework inside the towers, which had been covered in a thick layer of seagull and pigeon droppings.

The company used a Using a custom built combination tanker and vacuum hoses to remove the droppings and specialist high pressure water jetting equipment to thoroughly clean the surfaces of the stone floors and steps throughout both towers.

The vacuum system and the jetting system are both provided from the same custom built combination tanker, which specialises in this type of difficult work.

Workers wore special protective clothing while dealing with the situation.

The waste removed from the monument will be transported to a licensed plant for treatment.

Mike Walker, founder of CountyClean said this week: “I am delighted that Rother District Council chose to use our services for this major cleanup operation.

“Our company have all the right equipment and experienced teams to be able to carry out this type of specialist work.”

There was no disruption to locals and visitors to the town. Although some parking had to be suspended in East Cliff, the road remained open wile the work was carried out.

CountyClean Environmental Services specialise in liquid waste management across the utility, commercial and industrial, marine and domestic sectors.

The jobs they tackle include pump station and sewage treatment plant maintenance, liquid waste disposal, spill and flood response, hazardous waste disposal, high pressure water jetting and CCTV drainage surveys.

The call to clean up the Arch was led by Rye Mayor Cllr Bernardine Fiddimore and Cllr Mary Smith, who submitted an information request on how much Rother spends on ancient monuments.

Experts are now looking at the possibility and costs of installing a roof at the arch to prevent birds from causing damage in the future.