Fowl play! Email reveals members’ fury at tennis club’s lies over goose cull

An email sent to directors at St George's Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge, Surrey, has exposed member anger after bosses culled eight resident Canada geese and then told staff and members the birds had simply been "rehomed". Long-standing member Seema Parikh accused senior leadership of a deliberate cover-up, arguing that if management knew the geese had been killed, the "rehomed" explanation was plainly untrue and raised serious questions about the CEO and leadership's integrity and accountability. The row threatens to further undermine support for chief executive Miles Hill ahead of a board meeting to discuss the matter.

The geese, which had fouled the club's 34 courts, were shot dead in the early hours, with an adult bird reportedly producing around 2lbs of droppings a day; Mr Hill said the cull was decided collectively by senior staff on public health and safety grounds. He acknowledged the word "rehomed" was wrong and should not have been used, saying it was meant to spare younger staff distress, but rejected claims it showed a lack of integrity. The club said it received 30 responses supporting the cull and 18 expressing dissatisfaction, while a solitary surviving gosling has reportedly been left "lost and despondent" at the £2,664-a-year club.