Colony of noisy 'gangland gulls' are causing chaos

A colony of 'gangland gulls' has been causing chaos after they congregated in their hundreds at a school.

The winged menaces have been keeping the community awake at night, damaging the school and causing a nuisance throughout the neighbourhood.

Residents around the site of Vale School in Guernsey say their lives are being ruined by the growing number of seagulls that have claimed the territory and taken over the area.

The noise is so loud that some claim they struggle to sleep at night.The issue has reportedly been getting worse for several years years but following the closure of a recent landfill site the number of gulls has increased rapidly and become unbearable.

Local Tracey Henry said: "'It's particularly bad between 4am and 6.30am.

"It is almost constant throughout the day but at that time of the morning it is so difficult to sleep.

"It's been going on for about five years, but it has recently just got worse and worse - 30 to 40 at a time squawking away.

"We've taken videos and put them online - you would not believe the sound - people at work told me to turn it off it was so loud."

Tracey said she and her partner John Henry contacted the Education department a while ago but said for a long time they didn't acknowledge the problem but are finally taking some action.

John said: "They were a struggle to speak to at first but once we started talking they were quite helpful.

"There have been four nests removed now and I believe they are waiting on equipment to prevent further nesting."

Hawk kite

Despite this the couple say that since the nests have been removed the gulls have actually got worse.They have suggested introducing a hawk kite to keep them away. This is a fibreglass framed polyester model of a bird of prey that, when attached to the ground via a flexible rod, will move at random on the wind and make gulls wary of landing.

John added: "A hawk kite is used on Brecqhou to deter the gulls there and they work very effectively.

"They have told us they are going to look into using one here too.

"A fellow resident who lives next to the school, Maureen de Jong, said the gulls had become 'a real pain' over the last few months and believed it was down to the closure of a nearby tip.

She added: "They congregate all on the edges of the roof of the school, literally just over my back wall.

"Obviously the cars get covered in mess if you live around here, it's a real nightmare.

"Sometimes the noise is just so loud I am glad I don't sleep at the back of my house.

"Then you get a windy day like this and they disappear, but they will be back."