UK tourist town 'terrorised' by seagulls smashes 600 eggs

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UK tourist town 'terrorised' by seagulls smashes 600 eggs
UK tourist town 'terrorised' by seagulls smashes 600 eggs



Hundreds of seagull eggs are being smashed in a UK tourist town after the locals have become fed up of the animals terrorising residents and visitors.

A three-year project to reduce the amount of seagulls has begun in Devizes, Wiltshire, with 600 eggs already being smashed.

The action has been prompted after the local council received a petition in November 2014 calling for action on the seagull problem.

A working group comprising the area board, public health and public protection team, Roundway Parish Council and Devizes Town Council was set up to deal with the issue.

The group called in an expert help to carry out a programme of work to deter gulls from nesting in the area, which will run for three years, which is the time period when gulls return to where they were born and bred.

Speaking to This Is Wiltshire, Wiltshire councillor Laura Mayes said: "This project has made such a positive difference already and we're only a few months into it.

"This problem has been ongoing for quite some time so it's very pleasing that this partnership is helping to make a difference in the local community.

"The problem will not be solved overnight but it is good that we have made a positive start."

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Ms Mayes added: "I've been a councillor since 2009 and it's been a quietly growing issue. Initially, to be blunt, I thought it was a bit of a joke.

"Over the past two or three years it has got increasingly worse. Last summer it reached an absolute nadir and there were people contacting me every day.

"The noise at 4.30am was unbelievable and the other thing was the mess. I describe it as being a bit like an all night party every night where everything was trashed when you got up in the morning. They were the neighbours from hell."

Laura added: "There's 600 eggs which have not hatched this year. But the issue is they reproduce at about 100pc per year. And they are fertile for 25 years.

"Once you've got them, the only way to try and turn it round is to be this focused. That's why it's got to go on for this long."





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