Prestigious tennis club sparks outrage by secretly culling geese family because they were 'making courts messy'
The club said it took the action based on public health and safety
A prestigious Surrey tennis club has sparked uproar with its members after a gaggle of geese were secretly killed after making a mess on the courts.
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A marksman was hired to shoot the resident Canada Geese at St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge, last month.
Eight birds, including goslings, were later discovered to have been killed after residents reported hearing the sound of gunshots at around 5.25am on July 16.
The luxury club is frequently visited by celebrities, with its famous guests including John Lennon, Sue Barker and John Terry over the years.
The club, which has 3,7000 members, has previously embraced the geese by sharing photographs online of them on social media.
One post last April read:" St George's shared a photograph of two adult Canada geese with two goslings, captioned: 'We have baby goslings on our Lakeside Terrace!"
They also posted a photo of the birds in 2024 which read: "At least the Canadian geese family enjoyed the courts today".
One resident reported seeing an adult goose and a gosling wandering around the area "in a distressed state" on the day of the cull.
Miles Hill, the club’s chief executive, said in a statement: "We fully understand that some members and estate residents have been upset by what occurred.
"This was not a decision the club wished to take, nor one that was taken lightly.
"It followed many months of attempting to manage a growing resident population of Canada geese through enhanced cleaning and non-lethal measures.
"The decision was taken primarily on the grounds of public health and public safety. Despite extensive daily cleaning by multiple members of our grounds team we were increasingly unable to keep pace with the volume of faeces being produced."
The cull is said to have been confirmed to members of the local residents’ association via email.
The club has 3,700 members with annual fees of £2,664 and an entrance charge for new members of £2,000.
Mr Hill said that the cull was done secretly to ensure that the operation could be carried out safely.
One member of the club told The Times: "The members have always liked the geese.
"It is sometimes a bit annoying because they amble on to the courts and leave their poo but that does not mean they had to be shot.
"It's a private estate and the residents are concerned about a firearm being brought in without any warning."
Another added: "The club management ordered this because they felt the birds were making the courts messy. There was no consultation with the members.
"The club is in a beautiful setting and the birds were part of that."