A GRANDAD injured by aggressive seagulls on Largs beach has called for the council to step up measures to control the birds on the prom.

Kevin Hughes and his wife were attacked upon while walking along the seafront with his two young grandsons, aged four and one.

The family were set upon after a gull grabbed a sandwich from one boy, knocking him to the ground.

As Kevin tried to grab the food that had fallen, a flock of angry birds began tearing and pecking at his arms and hands, resulting in several deep wounds.

He said: "I do recognise the signage and provision of bins in this area but I do not believe that this is sufficient.

"The birds are circling because there isn't enough being done to ward them off, and incident like this are the end result."

Mr Hughes has now asked North Ayrshire Council to provide detail of what mitigation measures have taken place including gull nesting disruption.

The lady who helped launch the 'Please Don't Feed the Seagulls' campaign in Largs six years ago, has also called on the council to take more action.

School teacher Jane Wilson, who helped set up the initiative, now believes extra measures are necessary to combat the menace.

She said: "It is very unfortunate to hear that someone has been injured while eating a sandwich on the beach.

"The only way to stop the seagulls is an ongoing visible campaign to stop people from feeding them.

"The Fish Works have a very good hawk kite that scares the gulls away, and it works really well.

"Unless North Ayrshire Council are willing to hire someone to impose on the spot fines to stop day trippers from feeding the gulls, then situations like this are going to happen.

"I'd like to see posters on the trains and buses to Largs, as well as some signage as part of an awareness campaign not to feed the gulls.

"I launched the 'Please Don't Feed the Seagulls' campaign after a friend's son was scratched on the face by a seagull. Campaigns like that need to be sustained and continued every single year as the problem does not go away.

"The programme should be promoted in schools around North Ayrshire, not just in Largs."

Independent councillor Ian Murdoch says he also feels more needs to be done to crackdown on the issue.

He said: "I am sorry to hear of the Hughes family's experience.

"I have campaigned for years to have rat and seagull proof bins installed on Largs Prom and in the town centre.

"I have also asked for signs to be installed asking people not to feed the seagulls. These are all in place but sadly seagulls regularly swoop on people eating ice cream, fish and chips, sausage rolls and donuts.

"I will continue to look at ways of preventing this from happening, although it is hard to combat Mother Nature."

A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council said: “We are sorry to hear of this incident and hope everyone involved is now well.

“Unfortunately, issues with gulls occur in many seaside towns – particularly those as popular as Largs.

“The law protects all wild birds, including gulls, their nests and eggs. We have not sought to obtain a licence by NatureScot to control gulls by removing their nests or eggs as this type of activity is a last resort to preserve public health or safety.

“Instead, we actively promote responsible behaviour in terms of disposing of litter and not feeding gulls and through the provision of gull proof bins and signage on the promenade.

“Additionally, Environmental enforcement officers are conducting patrols of all coastal locations throughout the summer months to educate people on their responsibilities for disposing of litter. We have also introduced ‘twilight’ shifts to ensure all litter bins are serviced more often at peak times along the coastline, including Largs promenade."