Carcasses of dead pigeons trapped in netting under a bridge have created a safety hazard for drivers, campaigners have claimed.

Network Rail netted the underside of the bridge over Kingston Road in New Malden to deter birds from roosting and fouling the area but failed to remove the pigeons first leaving them to die, according to former councillor Mary Clark.

She said: "Their rotting carcasses are there for everyone to see, this is a health and safety issue."

Frederick Corbett has lived in the road for 25 years and said the dead pigeons are a hazard to people walking under the rail bridge and have even fallen onto cars driving underneath.

He said: "They (Network Rail) hadn’t even considered cleaning it out. They are not the best of species but they don’t deserve to die like that."

Mr Corbett said the safety risk has been compounded by the removal of barriers on the pavement in the same stretch of road, which he said could have protected pedestrians from swerving cars.

He said: "These railings are of paramount importance. They are absolutely vital under the bridge.

"They (Kingston Council) have dismissed these as street clutter but this is not street clutter, these are vital for safety."

Kingston Council, who removed the railings on police advice, said they were installed to prevent people crossing the road unsafely and would not have provided any protection to pedestrians.

A council spokesman said: "The police felt that the railings presented a potential hazard to cyclists were they to be struck by passing vehicles; as the railing would contain them within the carriageway with the fear of greater injury."

A Network Rail spokesman said the pigeons would be removed and netting reattached as soon as possible.

Mr Corbett, who has been campaigning on the issues against the council and Network Rail for five months, said he would continue to champion the cause with other residents.