"Seagull problem is definitely getting worse"

Published 4 Aug 2009 15:01 5 Comments

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Promenade businesses are in a flap after reporting increased incidences of gulls depriving customers of snacks as ice creams have been snatched out of children's hands.

Nardini at the Moorings staff member, David Purdon said: "It's definitely getting worse - when the prom is mobbed they are coming down and taking stuff out of people's hands.

"The other week, we had three seagulls in the space of 25 minutes swooping down and taking cones just as customers walked out the door.

"The problem is people are still feeding them - I think a byelaw is a good idea."

The local dad added: "I'm not aware of anyone being injured but the seagulls are quite dangerous. Kids could get hurt."

However, Largs boathirer Derek Brown told the 'News': "They are fly - they are definitely getting more cute - but not more aggressive I would say.

"They recognise a chip box and will follow people with them. It's easy pickings. They are masters of flying in and swooping but it's very rarely that a seagull will draw blood.

"I'm not totally for getting rid of them. If it wasn't for them, we would have a lot more rubbish left on the streets, and when people come from the city they like to see the birds up close. You will never get rid of seagulls."

Seaside resorts throughout Britain have reported an increasing gull problem, but last week it was announced that the herring gull had been placed on the UK's Red List of species of high conservation concern.

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

STEPHEN MCKAY
Unregistered User
Aug 6, 21:46
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SEA GULLS SHOULD BE EXTERMINATED THE SAME WAY A RAT OR ANY OTHER PEST SHOULD BE THE PEOPLE WHO SAY OTHERWISE DO NOT EXPERIENCE WHAT I DO EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE AS AT 4 AM EVERY DAY I AM WOKE UP BY THERE SCREACHING AS IF THEY HAD A MICROPHONE WITH TWELVE AMPS ATTATCHED AND THE BIN AREAS BECOME POLVERISED EVERY WEEK NAPPIES THREW AROUND AND ALL SORTS AN TO TOP IT ALL OFF MY KIDS CANT EVEN PLAY OUT THE BACK AS THEY SWOOP DOWN AND ATTACK THEM. I BELEIVE THAT IF I STARTED SINGING AND SOUTING AT TOP OFF MY VOIVE AT 4AM I WOULD BE JAILED FOR BREACH OF THE PEACE AND IF I THREW LITTER AROUND I WOULD BE FINED FOR LOYTERING AND MOST IMPORTANTLY IF I ATTACKED KIDS I WOULD BE JAILED FOR MANY YEARS SO WHY SHOULD WE NOT GET RID OF THE FN PESTS THEY HAVE RUINED MY LIFE AND I DEAPLY HATE THEM they are VERMON REGARDLESS WHAT YOU SAY

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Mark
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Aug 10, 12:10
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I am in total agreement with the above comment. They should be wiped out, exterminated... I really don't care. Seagulls have recently invaded my town and have decided to use a building opposite my bedroom window as a base. Since their arrival, I have been sleep depraved for weeks! To the point that I am phyically and mentally exhausted. It's that endless screeching that drives me crazy! I have tried earplugs, music... but to no avail! They always win in the end and I find myself roaming around the flat cursing at 4 or 5 in the morning every night. You have no idea how much I would like to buy an air gun and slowly pick them off one by one. The other night one of them even crashed into my window screeching... I hope to hell it suffered...ba*tards! I have not yet been attacked bu****hink it's just a question of time before it happens. I share the resentment described by Stephen and hope they are not here to stay.

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Mark
Unregistered User
Aug 10, 12:12
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I am in total agreement with the above comment. They should be wiped out, exterminated... I really don't care. Seagulls have recently invaded my town and have decided to use a building opposite my bedroom window as a base. Since their arrival, I have been sleep depraved for weeks! To the point that I am phyically and mentally exhausted. It's that endless screeching that drives me crazy! I have tried earplugs, music... but to no avail! They always win in the end and I find myself roaming around the flat cursing at 4 or 5 in the morning every night. You have no idea how much I would like to buy an air gun and slowly pick them off one by one. The other night one of them even crashed into my window screeching... I hope to hell it suffered...ba*tards! I have not yet been attacked bu****hink it's just a question of time before it happens. I share the resentment described by Stephen and hope they are not here to stay.

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fatburd
Unregistered User
Aug 13, 21:15
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why oh why make such a stramash about the seagulls in largs they are only doing what any other rodent or vermin would do if fed on a regular basis by humans lets face facts ...locals and visitors to the town feed gulls chips and other feed stuffs on a regular basis and think its both cool and funny now would these same people think it cool and funny to sit down the beach and feed rats by the same means and encourage them to do so ???? i dont think so.the suggestion of culling gulls in the area would have no effect on this problem either unless like farmers do to keep crows from feeding on crops ,cull and hang on fence ect...i dont think gulls hanging from lamp posts and bus shelters would be very attractive or would it ? gulls culled would be very rapidly replaced by other birds,largs is not the only town in uk with them is it ? get a grip folks calm down act sensibly and dont feed them at all ...simple. the comments made about how terrible these birds are and how dangerous they are..quote..Nardini at the Moorings staff member, David Purdon said: "It's definitely getting worse - when the prom is mobbed they are coming down and taking stuff out of people's hands.

"The other week, we had three seagulls in the space of 25 minutes swooping down and taking cones just as customers walked out the door

for god sake what does mr purden think would happen to his hand if he held a lit stick of dynamite ....cover him in hundreds and thousands .

of course they are going to do that for god sake man the public have almost invited them to do it wake up and smell the coffee city boy or at least have some sort of understanding about anmials .

* Edited by moderator

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Grace
Unregistered User
Aug 28, 22:14
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I agree sonething should be done to cull the seagulls. Ten years ago I took my kids to Largs for day, as we were eating our burgers along the prom a seagull swooped down landed on my 12 year old daughter's shoulder and took the burger out of the roll. As burger was hot the seagull dropped it as soon as it flew off. It had sat for second or two on her shoulder awaiting the right moment to snatch. By the time I was about to chase it away it was all over within matter of seconds but not before my daughter was shaken by the incident, which we will never forget.

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