Sainsbury's Can't 'Catch the Pigeon'
Video shows bird evading member of staff with large net
The barriers have been removed from Chiswick Sainsbury's car park. Picture: Yannik Schreckenberger
January 18, 2025
Late night shoppers this Wednesday (15 January) in the large Sainsbury's store in Chiswick were entertained by a battle of wills between a pigeon and members of staff.
At around 9:30pm the bird was spotted flying in the store and a number of large nets were brought out by employees.
In a video taken by a customer, the bird spots a man approaching with a net and quickly flies off. The pigeon remained uncaught by the time the customer left the store and it is believed to still be there at the time of writing two days later.
Birds are not an uncommon sight in the Essex Place store as they regularly get through the automatic doors. Management says that they generally fly out of their own accord but ten years ago a robin took up residence around Christmas time and refused to leave, requiring the supermarket to ask for assistance from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
It is the company's police not to kill birds that get trapped in its premises.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said, “We are working with the RSPCA and our contractors to safely remove a pigeon from our Chiswick store and introduce measures to keep our feathered friends from making a detour in the future."
Some regular customers believe that investment in the store is being wound down ahead of a major development on the site including over the car park.
Pre-application discussions about the project have been held with Hounslow Council for outline plans that would see the store demolished and rebuilt and housing blocks constructed.
This page is sponsored by Rocks Lane who support community initiatives in Chiswick.
