Seagulls bring terror to city as attacks on shoppers rise

They weigh more than a kilo, measure up to five feet across and can attack at speeds of up to 40mph.

And, as the tourist season begins to kick off in Inverness, calls are being made for a tougher stance against the seagull pests.

Businesses, residents and visitors are reporting an increasing number of the gulls descending on the Highland capital's High Street - the main shopping thoroughfare in the city.

Street trader Kim Gordon said: "They are getting braver and more adventurous, and there are far more this year than I've ever seen."

He added: "I was recently coming out of a shop with my daughter when one just came down and dive-bombed both of us. She was pretty scared.

"I have noticed them getting more aggressive. Something has to be done before someone gets seriously hurt.

"Taking their eggs away could work. Or perhaps the council could employ the eagle owls from the bird sanctuary stall which comes to the High Street."

Tourist John Goodman, 42, said: "I had just bought a sandwich when suddenly I heard a swooping noise, then my sandwich just disappeared.

"All hell broke loose as other seagulls attacked that gull, trying to get my food, which was falling to the ground. It was mayhem and not a good sight, or sound, for visitors to see."

City councillor Donnie Kerr admitted the city's gull problem was a growing menace.

He said: "The problem with the gulls is certainly getting close, especially since the dump at the Longman was closed.

"They are coming further into the town. The noise and the mess is terrible and I continually get complaints about it.

"They are protected for some reason, which makes it difficult, but I would suggest piercing their eggs rather than removal so the gulls still sit on them and don't lay a new batch."

Highland Council officials are currently looking at seagull control in the city centre.

A spokeswoman said the council had no statutory duty to take action against gulls but it recognised the misery they cause homeowners and businesses.

Councillor John Laing, chairman of the council's transport, environmental and community services committee, said: "Gulls are very opportunistic scavengers and take full advantage of the leftovers that we humans provide for them and the nesting places that they create in our urban areas.

"I urge everyone not to drop litter in the streets and not to feed gulls at the riverside, harbour or park."

Councillor Thomas Prag has previously called on the authority to make Inverness the first Scottish city to "legalise gull shooting".

Birds of prey are being deployed in North Wales to stop seagulls attacking shoppers.The Coastal Hawks Project will put hawks and falcons on patrol in Rhyl, with their handlers wearing medieval dress.

Back in 2006, when an eagle owl set up temporary residence in Inverness city centre, locals claimed the number of gulls declined dramatically.

Bird boost

SOME of Scotland's most popular birds are thriving, despite fears they could disappear after two bad winters, a survey suggests.

RSPB Scotland's Big Garden Birdwatch showed small birds making a comeback after a drop in numbers last year.

Sightings of long-tailed tits almost doubled, while coal tit records rose by 17 per cent. Treecreeper sightings increased by 150 per cent.

The cold weather also brought brambling and lesser redpoll, more commonly found in woods, to gardens, presumably in search of food.