A DRUNKEN Halesowen football fan broke a pigeon fancier’s heart after burning down his loft killing birds worth £20,000.

West Bromwich Albion fan William Peasgood, who also works for the club, wrecked 20 years of Ian Everington’s breeding and training when he torched the pigeon loft after seeing his team beat Middlesborough away.

Peasgood was given a suspended jail term at Teesside Crown Court on Friday, after earlier admitting two counts of arson at allotments he entered while returning to Saltburn, East Cleveland, where he was staying after the match.

The court heard the 21-year-old, of Mucklow Hill, set fire to the loft and a shed belonging to another person at the Hazel Grove allotments after cheering his club, for whom he works as a warehouse manager, to a 5-0 win at the Riverside Stadium on September 19 last year.

Jim Withyman, prosecuting, said: “He can’t provide any sensible explanation for what happened other than he was in the allotments having a cigarette, when he lit a rag and set fire to the loft.”

Although the blaze did not directly kill the birds, within a few days of the incident they fell ill, probably due to smoke inhalation, and the devastated owner Ian Everington, from Redcar, had to put them down.

Speaking after the court case, Mr Everington, aged 49, said: “He should have been made to come back up here and kill them himself – that would have shown what it meant.

“My life revolves around pigeons.

“I’m absolutely devastated, especially as I had to kill them myself.

“It’s like killing the family dog.”

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said Peasgood had immediately realised the seriousness of what he had done and called the emergency services.

Mr Mochrie added: “In this case, prison has done exactly what it is intended to do – the prospect has instilled a complete and utter fear in Mr Peasgood.

“Because of his own stupidity he has lived the past few months of his life dreading this day.”

Judge Les Spittle said: “They are not just birds.

“This is a collection built up over 20 years.

“In many cases, these pigeons are closer to their owners than members of the family.”

Peasgood was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, a two-year community order with supervision and 200 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £3,500 compensation to the two victims.

Mr Everington said he has started keeping pigeons again but said he would never get to the level he had been at before the fire.

Following the court case, Peasgood refused to comment on his actions.