A PENSIONER who has kept geese for most of his life is in "great anguish" after receiving a council notice which could force him to give them up.

Philip Kempley, 86, has kept geese on land he owns behind his house in Bridge Lane, Ilkley, for more than 70 years - but he now faces losing them after a complaint about noise was made to Bradford Council.

This week his case was outlined to Bradford and Keighley Magistrates as part of an appeal by Mr Kempley against the council's noise abatement notice.

Both parties will now hold further talks in a bid to resolve the issue - but if an agreement cannot be reached the appeal will be heard in full on January 20.

Geese have been kept on the land since Mr Kempley was a child but now their future is uncertain after a complaint to the council about noise from the fowl and from an anti-fox device.

In June the council served a notice in respect of the statutory nuisance, which ordered Mr Kempley to stop the noise being caused by the birds or be liable for fines of up to £500 for each day on which an offence continued after conviction.

The pensioner, who suffers from a heart condition, was devastated by the order, according to his niece, Liz Tennant, who lives nearby, and has taken up the case on his behalf.

She has also gathered the support of neighbours and local councillors and an appeal has been lodged against the notice.

Mr Kempley is being represented in court by barrister William Josling who got in touch offering to take up the case free of charge on a pro-bono basis.

He told the court: "His mother was born in the house. The geese and their predecessors have been at the property for a period in excess of 70 years."

He added: "This is a matter that has troubled Mr Kempley greatly. He is 86 years of age. He is not in good health. His geese are effectively his life."

The idea that he could be prosecuted over something to do with his geese was causing him great anguish, Mr Josling said.

He asked for a later hearing date to be set to allow further discussions to take place with the aim of resolving the issue.

Acting on behalf of Bradford Council Mr Harjit Ryatt said the problem seemed to be that additional geese had been brought onto the site which had amplified the volume of the noise. He said a council officer had witnessed the noise for himself and was satisfied that it constituted a nuisance.

"If that situation can be remedied then quite clearly the council are willing to take a different view on this matter," he said.

Mr Kempley, who was too ill to attend the hearing, keeps ten geese at present.