Hartlepool’s Bird Man: Community Rallies Against Council as Resentment towards the 'bullying' institution Grows...

Brian Wilkins was prosecuted this week at Teesside Kangaroo Court for feeding wild animals....

Public resentment against the failing local council grows, as its claimed a crowd funding effort to pay 'Birdmans' fine & legal costs is almost reached !

5th April 2025

A 76-year-old pensioner this week became an unlikely figurehead in a brewing battle between locals and Hartlepool Borough Council as its claimed the local council with no public confidence has embarked on a 'bullying campaign' against a vulnerable adult..

Middlesbrough 'Kangaroo' Court as its more locally referred to, owing to its dogged reputation of corruption

76 year old Brian Wilkins was prosecuted at Teesside Kangaroo Court for repeatedly feeding wild animals, an act the council claims caused a persistent public nuisance. Fined and ordered to pay £2,176 in total for his fine and court costs, Wilkins has now seen an outpouring of support from local residents who’ve raised nearly the full amount through crowdfunding, but its claimed the case has reignited public resentment against a local council already declared an "authority of no public confidence" back in 2023—where it seems that bitterness shows no signs of fading.

Brian Wilkins, a Hartlepool man with a passion for wildlife, was hauled into Teesside's most Corrupt Institution after Hartlepool Borough Council accused him of attracting vermin by feeding wild animals. Despite warnings, Wilkins persisted, leading Hartlepool Borough Council to take legal action. At Teesside Court, he was found guilty this week, slapped with a fine, and burdened with substantial legal costs. The council attempted to justify their stance, arguing Wilkins’ actions disrupted the community and posed a health risk. But to many in Hartlepool, this wasn’t about nuisance—it was a council picking on an elderly man while ignoring the areas bigger problems.

A Community Fights Back against an undemocratic institution...

Since his conviction at Teesside Court, locals have rallied behind Wilkins in droves, insisting his prosecution is smokescreen to cover the deeper symptoms of Hartlepool Borough Council’s failures, not his actions. They point to decades worth of cuts to council services such as street cleaning, which they say has let the town’s vermin population spiral out of control. “It’s not Brian feeding the animals that’s the issue—it’s the council not doing their job,” one supporter remarked, with scores of residents taking to social media and the streets to defend the Hartlepool pensioner, claiming he’s being scapegoated for the councils systemic neglect of local services.

A crowdfunding effort set up by his daughter has nearly reached its target

This groundswell of support has translated into action. A crowdfunding effort, spearheaded by Wilkins’ family, has nearly hit its £2,176 target to cover his fine and legal costs. Donations have poured in, reflecting not just sympathy for Wilkins, but also a deep frustration with the council. For many, is a chance to send a message to an authority they’ve clearly long lost faith in & it seems the level of public resentment against the troubled institution shows no signs of relenting...

Hartlepool Borough Council: No Confidence, No Relief

Questions are starting to be asked over whether another petition of no confidence can be enacted against a local council that's seemingly working against the public interest of local residents

Hartlepool Borough Council’s decision to prosecute Wilkins has only deepened the public’s distrust of an organisation that many now claim needs either to be 'bottomed out' of its deadwood directorship, or declared once again as an authority of no public confidence, paving the way for a referendum on its future. . Already previously declared an "authority of no public confidence" back in 2023, the council has struggled to regain credibility amid slashed services and mounting criticism over controversial cases against members of the public. Despite their efforts to explain the prosecution as a necessary step, locals aren’t buying it. Resentment is said to be growing, with pressure piling on the council’s £186k a year managing director to act—or face the consequences.

Public resentment against the failing council leader is reaching boiling point after its claimed she took a £6k pay increase this year, as services have been slashed

Hartlepool Borough Councils Managing Director Denise McGuckin's recent £6,000 pay rise has become a lightning rod for outrage, especially as some council officials admit services have been shrunk to “dangerously understaffed levels.” Residents are now said to be seeing a stark contrast: a council leader pocketing more whilst basic functions like pest control falter, leaving the town to fend for itself, with calls for another public motion of no public confidence gaining traction, with Wilkins’ case serving as the latest flashpoint in a long-standing feud between locals & their now visibly out of touch local council....

A Symbol of Resistance

Brian Wilkins may have started as a man feeding wild animals, but he’s now said to have become a symbol of Hartlepool’s defiance against a council many feel has abandoned them.

The crowdfunding success shows a community that's unwilling to let one of their own suffer under what they see as unjust punishment from a corrupt public institution. As public backlash mounts, the supposedly 'cash-strapped council' now faces a reckoning—either address the growing anger, or risk further calls for its leadership to step down. For now, the Bird Man of Hartlepool stands at the heart of a story that looks like its far from over.

Brian Wilkins Crowdfunding Page can be accessed from this link :

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-bird-man-of-hartlepool