Alvin and the Chipmunks music played to drive away homeless people in Dorset

The council insisted it had been Dorset Police's decision to play the squeaky music

The council defended its decision to 'trial' playing music to deter homeless people from Bournemouth Coach Station (Google Street View)

The theme tune to children's cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks was played repeatedly to deter homeless people from sleeping at a station in Bournemouth.

Dorset Police said the music was on a playlist of songs used to prevent "rough sleeping" in the town, although the track has since been dropped after residents labelled it "cruel and unnecessary".

Bournemouth Borough Council said it had been the police's decision to play the Alvin and the Chipmunks song at Bournemouth Coach Station.

"It's gone back to bagpipe music now," a council spokesman told The Independent.

"The police changed it for a few nights, they made the decision. The decision to play music was the council's, but not to play the chipmunk music."

The music from Alvin and the Chipmunks, who are singers in the animation, was played loudly in Bournemouth Coach Station (Rex Features)

A Dorset Police spokesman had said the tracks were being "chosen randomly" and there was not a "set playlist", according to the Daily Telegraph.

Bournemouth Borough Council previously said in a statement: "We have been trialling the playing of music at night time to deter rough sleeping. All of these activities appear to be helping but we will continue to monitor the situation.

"The playing of music has been used for the last ten years in car parks to address the same issue."

Many local residents criticised the tactic and organised a petition for the music to be stopped.

Carla Johnson told the Daily Telegraph: "Playing annoying, loud music at the travel interchange is in no way a solution as it will simply move the homeless people on to another area in the town."

Resident Claudia Doak, said: "The council should be taken to court for disturbing the peace. They are more of a nuisance than the homeless."

Another local resident told the BBC: "I think to blare music out at people is actually a little bit cruel and unnecessary. They should put something in place whereby these people have somewhere to go."

Dorset Police told the BBC that after receiving public feedback, it would be reviewing the scheme alongside the council.