A seaside town has been given permission to kill seagulls – after a series of attacks by the pesky birds.
Residents who’ve had their feathers ruffled by the dive-bombing pests are claiming victory after Natural England handed them a licence to kill.
Officials have released a form which allows fed-up people in Scarborough to legally destroy the nests and eggs of protected herring gulls.
It comes at the end of a summer season plagued with gull attacks on the seafront in the North Yorkshire resort with the beaked bandits swooping on holidaymakers.
Campaigning Councillor Andrew Jenkinson has described the licence as the biggest breakthrough yet in the battle against the food-snatching birds.
Cllr Jenkinson said: “This is what we’ve been waiting for.
“It’s too late to do something for this summer – but this is our chance to act now and ensure we are ready to act for next summer and finally nip the numbers in the bud.”
The general licence allows any authorised person to remove eggs or nests from their land, effectively allowing personal culls.
Available from the Natural England website the form allows the landowner – or someone with the landowner’s permission such as a tenant – to rid the property of nests and eggs.
Without the licence that would be illegal as the birds are protected.
The licence can only be allowed, Natural England say, to “preserve public health and safety” and can’t just be used by someone because they are sick of the birds.
It can be downloaded and used instantly without the need of applying, as long as people meet its conditions and follow instructions, although it can only be used on herring gulls and not kittiwakes.
But one councillor already has some concerns about the licence. “I wouldn’t be happy with the idea of nests being removed,” said Dilys Cluer, leader of Scarborough Council’s Green Party group.
“I think stopping them nesting beforehand by placing spikes and what not is a much better way of dealing with this rather than waiting for eggs to be laid.
“I think it could be a bit hard to prove a nest is a health and safety risk – that risk comes later when the young are fledging and quite aggressive.
“But preventive measures are, in my opinion, a better way of tackling this.”
The gull issue has raged in Scarborough for years, but has recently picked up momentum as the birds have become more aggressive and violent in their quest to feed.
Recently Prime Minister David Cameron chimed in on the debate, after a dog was attacked and killed by ravenous gulls, saying it was now time to have a “big conversation” about the birds.
Other ideas in Scarborough including using “anti-seagull” drones to sterilise eggs laid in hard-to-reach nests and painting pavement murals on the seafront to warn tourists not to feed gulls.
