Seagull sandwich thieves in St Andrews need to be persuaded to go straight

Seagulls that steal food from humans have become a problem in many seaside towns. Now things have got so bad in St Andrews that the owners of the Cheesy Toast Shack are considering adding a £1 ‘seagull insurance’ fee to purchases.

They said that up to 30 people a day were having their food stolen and, as they replace the purloined sandwiches for free, it can cost them a lot of money. Flying a bird-of-prey kite failed to act as a deterrent and playing bird-of-prey noises was “not the vibe we ideally wanted”.

But not all seagulls are interested in people’s food. There are places where such attacks are rare. This is learned behaviour that is passed on from one generation to the next.

And tactics can change. For example, at St Ives in Cornwall, which has a similar problem, some birds have been known to ask for food, utilising an imploring look, and chase off potential attackers while they wait.

If only we had a Dr Doolittle who could persuade our feathered friends in St Andrews to take a similarly mild-mannered approach.