One of Britain's most prestigious tennis clubs slammed for hiring marksman to shoot geese

One of Britain's most prestigious tennis clubs slammed for hiring marksman to shoot geese

Members of one of Britain's most prestigious tennis clubs have been left fuming after the venue arranged for marksmen to shoot its resident Canada geese at dawn. Neighbours of the St George's Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge, Surrey, reported hearing gunfire at 5.25am on July 16. It subsequently emerged that eight birds had been killed, among them goslings. The club, which once hosted British tennis star Emma Raducanu, carried out the cull without informing its membership in advance. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The operation was authorised under a Natural England licence permitting the killing of certain bird species on public health or safety grounds, with an adult goose and one gosling surviving. Members who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed deep unhappiness with the decision. One long-standing player told The Times: "The members have always liked the geese. It is sometimes a bit annoying because they amble on to the courts and leave their poo. But that does not mean they had to be shot. "It's a private estate and the residents are concerned about a firearm being brought in without any warning." Another member described the birds as "adored and loved" and said the club initially told people the geese had been rehomed, then claimed they had "flown off", adding: "The members and local residents are furious." A fellow player criticised the lack of consultation, saying management acted unilaterally because they considered the birds untidy. Miles Hill, the club's chief executive, defended the cull, saying: "This was not a decision the club wished to take, nor one that was taken lightly. "It followed many months of attempting to manage a growing resident population of Canada geese through enhanced cleaning and non-lethal measures." LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Emma Raducanu out of US Open after suffering fresh injury nightmare Aryna Sabalenka wades into transgender row as tennis introduces new rules Carlos Alcaraz suffers fresh setback as US Open t