That sounds much more like a reasonable solution Roger. Your council appears to be using a little more common sense than mine. Could I ask you to PM me the name of your shire so I might have a bit of leverage against mine and there unreasonable response?
Air rifle's and the like have all come to mind, but I think that would put me right up there with the idiots and there laser pointers, I feel it might bring the 'sport into disrepute'. Tempting none the less.
Best case scenario is a 'hoon' cleans himself up on it in the wet weather.
George