Ultrasonic sound and strobe lighting is designed to drive the birds away

Hundreds of starlings in trees near the Tesco in Carmarthen are covering pavements, railings and cars with droppings.

Council workmen have used power washers to get rid of the mess and appalling smell which is claimed to be a health hazard.

Now an electronic bird scarer that emits ultrasonic sound designed to drive the birds from the trees will be attached to one of the walls of the supermarket car park.

We can't let them stay where they are as they are causing so much mess which is also a health hazard Roger Morris, Carmarthenshire council

It also has strobe lighting which it is hoped will act as a further deterrent.

If all else fails the machine will play noises that sound like birds of prey to frighten the starlings into believing they are under attack.

Carmarthenshire council's principal engineer Roger Morris said: "Starlings are a protected species and the only way we can get rid of them is to try to chase them off.

"We can't let them stay where they are as they are causing so much mess which is also a health hazard."

The mess left by the starlings looks - and smells - terrible

The starling is Britain's most common garden bird although its numbers are falling.

They live on a diet of insects and fruit and large numbers arrive in the UK in autumn to spend the winter.

Mr Morris said the council was hoping to take delivery of the bird scarer on either Wednesday or Thursday.

It will them be used during the afternoon as the birds tend to leave the trees between 1200GMT and 1600GMT.