THE owners of a small-holding near Haverfordwest have spoken out after being fined for allowing their cockerels and other fowl to break a noise abatement notice.

Andrew and Lynda Baker, of Wiltax Rose, were each fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £597.79 and a £20 victim surcharge by Haverfordwest magistrates’ last Monday (April 14).

The couple were served a noise abatement notice by Pembrokeshire County Council last July after a neighbour complained of excessive cockerel crowing.

Andrew, 57, and Lynda, 56, who kept animals at their old town centre home in Newport, Gwent, without any problems, told the Western Telegraph of their disappointment.

They moved to Pembrokeshire 10-years ago, having always wanted to own a small-holding. At one point they kept about 200 animals, but they downsized considerably about six years ago after deciding it had "become more of a burden than a pleasure".

Andrew and Lynda said they could not believe what had happened.

“I thought it was a joke at first," said Andrew. "We are on a farm, we are surrounded by farmland. It’s the countryside."

“If we lived five miles up the road in Haverfordwest I could understand it but not round here.”

Linda added: “I just thought we were good friends. We’ve been round there for coffee and BBQs, we’ve never fallen out with them, I don’t know what happened.

“We’ve had enough stress without this. I’ve had enough, I keep saying I want to move.

“They didn’t even come round to speak to us about it. We don’t know what they will complain about next.”

She added: “I think it’s lovely to hear the cockerels. We live in a rural area, it’s just a way of life you know."

Last month the couple were ordered to pay a total of £1,700 in fines and costs for breaching a noise abatement notice by allowing their two dogs to persistently bark.