A YOUNG man with Down's Syndrome whose passion for birds has given him a new lease of life has been told he must drastically reduce his flock.

Ashley Marshall, 23, a former pupil at Brooklands Special School, and his stepfather Richard Feather, of Duckett Street, are spearheading a campaign to reverse a Skipton Town Council decision to limit the number of birds kept on Middletown and Broughton Road allotments.

Current poultry keepers have until October 2015 to reduce their flocks to 12.

Richard said unless the decision can be reversed, Ashley - whose Middletown allotments flock has about 40 birds - has told him that "the enjoyment would be gone and there would be no point in doing it".

"Before Ashley took the allotment on over three years ago, he explained to the council what he wanted to do and they said 'what a brilliant idea'," said Richard. "All of a sudden it's not a brilliant idea and they've changed the goalposts."

Dave Parker, chief officer of Skipton Town Council, said: “It is important to remember that allotments are intended primarily as garden plots for individuals and families to grow produce. Legislation also allows for a small quantity of livestock to be kept, again to supply individuals and their families.

"The council is obliged to ensure that any livestock are kept in appropriate conditions and it is difficult to meet this obligation if quantities are substantial. It is for this reason that the council’s public services committee decided to introduce a limit of 12 chickens, which we feel is ample to supply any average family.”

He added: “The proposal was discussed at an allotment tenants meeting held in April of this year – and the restrictions come into force for existing tenants from October 2015 which gives a full year for tenants to adjust stock levels."

"There's no valid reason for doing this," said Richard. "There have always been hen pens at Middletown allotments."

Skipton's Andrew Hinkinson, author of a new book called Chickens As Pets, has thrown his support behind Ashley.

"I've had an allotment up there for two years and keep a flock of 50 Defra-registered birds," said Andrew, who rescues abandoned and caged chickens. "They're all my pets and they all have names.

"This is pure and simply Skipton Town Council causing a lot of upset," he said. "The council are the big, bad monster in all this and they're turning perfectly law-abiding citizens into rebels.

"By giving people only 12 months, they're saying they don't care what happens to the birds. There's no way I'll kill all my birds."

Ashley, whose flock includes chickens, rhea, peacocks, turkeys, geese and ducks, has been showing his birds in local agricultural shows with great success.

"Whatever show Ashley enters, he's won prizes," said Richard. "He's done really well, but 12 birds is not enough to show poultry."

Richard said that Ashley has invested a significant amount of time into the allotment, as evidenced by him receiving a three-year diploma in horticulture, agriculture and animal care from Craven College. He is now doing a fourth year on land-based studies.

Mr Parker said: "If the new policy causes any significant problem for any tenant, the council will always be happy to discuss things on an individual basis, especially if there are any special circumstances.”

Carole Mason, whose house overlooks the Middletown allotments, said: "The children off the estate absolutely adore looking at and feeding the birds. We see them every day - it would be such a shame if they had to go."

An online petition supporting the poultry allotment holders can be accessed by visiting Ashley's Pet Poultry Corner on Facebook. The petition has more than 300 signatures.