A seaside town is taking action to try and tackle the ‘vicious’ seagulls disturbing residents and tourists.

Lowestoft in East Suffolk has seen an influx of the coastal birds after a ‘hotel’ for them was set up at its port, providing nests for up to 430 breeding pairs.

The seagulls have been stealing chips and ice cream, swooping on passers-by, and even squawking so loudly it interrupts people on the phone.

Ashley Catchpole, 24, is a beach cleaner from the town.

He said: ‘They’re cute in some ways – but when they go after food they really are vicious and quite horrible.

‘They’re very determined once they see food. The trouble is that some people feed them which makes it worse.

‘When I sit down to eat my lunch they come really close and touch me.

‘I don’t hit them I just tell them to go away and sometimes have to swing my hand down.

‘Even then sometimes they don’t clear off and I have to hide my food.

‘They’re very loud as well. Sometimes you can be on the phone and you can’t hear anything because the seagulls interrupt you.’

Sam Faulkner, 35, from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, was visiting Lowestoft last week.

He said his son’s ice cream almost got stolen by a bird on the first day of their holiday.

Sam said: ‘I bought my son an ice cream and a seagull tried to swoop in and take it from my son’s hand.

‘It flew away once I shouted but it kind of hovered near his head trying to get it.

‘I can see why people don’t like them. I can imagine when it’s busy they’d be a problem.

‘The woman working at the ice cream stand said that they’re a nuisance as they’re opportunists and hover around the food shops.

‘There should probably be a sign telling people to watch out for them.’

Adam, another beach cleaner, thinks people who feed the gulls should be fined, as a deterrent.

He said: ‘They should be looking for their own food out at sea not eating chips and ice cream. It’s not good for their health.

‘It’s not just holidaymakers that feed them, it’s some locals as well. It means they keep coming back for more which makes the problem worse.

‘I think if someone feeds the seagulls they should get fined. That might help the problem.’

East Suffolk council confirmed it created ‘kittiwake hotels’ earlier this year – with space for up to 430 pairs. Kittiwakes are a type of seagull.

A council spokesperson said: ‘East Suffolk council is a member of the Lowestoft Kittiwake Partnership, which has a broad membership, including Suffolk Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, and members of the community and local business groups.

‘The partnership was established to enable a co-ordinated approach to a number of issues around safeguarding the endangered urban nesting kittiwake population while acknowledging the interests of businesses and residents.

‘In March this year, artificial nesting structures, or kittiwake ‘hotels’, were installed by energy firms Vattenfall and Scottish Power at the Port of Lowestoft to accommodate up to 430 pairs of the seabirds and protect them from predators.

‘More recently, energy firm Ørsted completed two nearshore kittiwake hotels, one kilometre from the shoreline of South Beach, as part of a Kittiwake Compensation Plan (KCP), required by the Planning Inspectorate, which sets out the proposed compensation relating to potential in-combination effects of Hornsea Three offshore wind project on the designated kittiwake population.’

Source:
courtesy of METRO

by Katie Boyden

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