Plan to close Southsea's Castle Field for months to create winter haven for Brent Geese is branded 'bonkers'

A part of Southsea’s Castle Field will be closed to the public from next month in order to create a refuge for migrating Brent Geese.

The proposal, announced by Southsea Coastal Scheme today, will last until the end of March and is expected to be repeated every winter until 2026.

Decoy birds and audio devices, mimicking the calls of the geese, will be installed in a bid to entice the animals to the field.

However, the plan has been ridiculed by residents living in Southsea, who said it would take a critical piece of land away from residents for months.

Trevor Goodman, 66, of Nelson Road, has lived in the area for 15 years and said the field was constantly used by fitness groups, families and dog walkers.

He said: ‘This is just totally bonkers. Whoever has come up with this plan clearly doesn’t know anything about Southsea. This is, without a doubt the most-used piece of grass in Southsea.

‘We’re going to need this public space during the coronavirus pandemic. We can’t give up space to a bunch of geese. It’s a joke. It’s pie in the sky. It’s just bonkers.’