CITY shoppers have been invited to do their bit to deal as part of a council crackdown on nuisance ‘opportunistic scavengers’ gulls which have blighted Worcester city centre.
Worcester City Council has joined forces with Worcestershire Regulatory Services and Worcester BID to raise awareness of what actions can be taken to clamp down on the gulls.
The new campaign will see advice leaflets, posters, signs on litter bins, radio adverts and tips for businesses rolled out in a bid to encourage city residents and businesses to do what they can to reduce the impact of gulls in Worcester.
Advice leaflets aimed at city businesses will also be sent out by Worcester BID. They include tips on how to stop gulls nesting on roofs and advice for how cafes and restaurants can deter the birds from swooping on their customers.
The City Council has also invested in gull-proof waste sacks and new litter bins will be installed around the city centre in the next few months which are designed to stop gulls getting in to pull food out.
The ongoing crackdown will also see the egg replacement programme extended to help control gull numbers.
The realistic fake eggs are placed in gulls’ nests and the birds continue to sit on them, without laying a replacement. As a result, fewer chicks are hatched each year.
Coun Joy Squires, chair of the City Council’s Environment Committee, said: “Gulls can create problems for all of us in Worcester.
“They scavenge food, spread their droppings on our buildings and pavements, and they can be very noisy.
“There is no easy, single solution to the problem, but if we all take a few simple actions, we can help to reduce the nuisance and problems they cause.”
Coun Alan Feeney, vice chair of the committee, said: “Gulls are opportunistic scavengers. We can all play a part in tackling the problems they cause and one of the simplest ways is to make sure we dispose of leftover food responsibly.
“Remember – feed the bins, not the gulls.”
