AN ALVA man who used an air weapon to sort out his "pigeon problem" has been sentenced to unpaid work.

Kenneth Moore, 62, of Parkgate, appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court last Thursday, June 30.

He admitted that on May 17, last year, at his home he was in possession of an air weapon without a certificate for it.

Depute fiscal Susannah Hutchison said that the matter came to a light after a resident in the area found dead pigeons in her garden.

It appeared they had been shot and she contacted the SSPCA who recovered the birds and the police were notified.

Door-to-door inquiries were carried out by officers and when they went to his Moore's home, he admitted his guilt.

He invited the officers into his house and they saw an air weapon in the kitchen.

He said: "I've been in South Africa and didn't know a licence was required."

He also told police he had "a pigeon problem".

Moore, who was representing himself, said: "I didn't shoot around the streets."

He said the only pigeons he shot were on his property.

Sheriff Iain Nicol said: "There was the potential for quite a serious incident to have occurred."

He imposed a community payback order with 60 hours of unpaid work.

The sheriff also ordered that the air weapons and pellets be forfeited.