A local council has come up with a drastic method to stop seagulls attacking locals – by putting the birds on the Pill.
Officials in Worcester are considering doping food with birth-control as part of a ‘safe sex' drive to reduce the population of the birds.
The council have tried for years to reduce the persistent seagull population in the city, including hiring hawks to scare them away but so far nothing has worked.
In June the Mail reported that fed-up locals were being kept prisoners in their own homes by the angry birds guarding rooftop nests.
If the birth-control plan is approved, the council hopes it will lead to fewer attacks on people and their pets.
Officials in Worcester are considering doping food with birth-control as part of a drive to reduce the population
Philip John, 64, a retired mechanic who has lived in the area for 12 years, said: ‘The gulls have turned this area into a warzone. It's not safe'
Fed-up residents of Diglis (marina pictured) say they are being kept prisoner in their own homes by the angry birds guarding rooftop nests
Cllr Jill Desayrah, a Labour city councillor for Warndon and Elbury Park, described the contraceptive option as ‘safe sex for seagulls'.
She said: ‘I am concerned that the increasing numbers of gulls are getting out of hand.
‘Many people contact me about the issues caused by having such a high concentration of gulls around Blackpole.'
Cllr Desayrah said she wanted to ‘humanely reduce the number of gulls' by exploring methods used in other countries.
Philip John, 64, a retired mechanic who lives in Diglis one of the areas most affected by the marauding gulls, said: ‘The gulls have turned this area into a warzone. It's not safe.
‘You can hear the birds squawking all day and all night.
‘During the nesting season, the adult gulls are very aggressive. When the chicks fall out the nests they often land on the pavement below.
‘I've know dogwalkers be attacked by the gulls which swoop down to try and retrieve their chicks.
Cllr Jill Desayrah said she wanted to ‘humanely reduce the number of gulls' by exploring methods used in other countries
Portland Street. Residents in Worcester where residents have reported being attacked by seagulls
‘The council know about the issue and have an officer responsible for seagull management but the birds are protected so they can't do much.'
The city's annual Gull Population Survey revealed that 376 pairs live in the Blackpole retail parks and industrial estates.
This accounts for more than 50 per cent of the city's entire gull population an increase of three per cent in the past year.
The majority are Lesser Black Backed Gulls, which, along with all the other types, is a protected species.
They are attracted to the area by the many flat-roofed buildings and the waste from the food outlets.
The Pill is already used to control pigeons in Barcelona and Venice.
Cllr Desayrah added: ‘They laced food that would be attractive to the gulls with contraceptives.
‘I passed the idea onto Worcestershire Regulatory Services and they are following up on it, seeking permission from the relevant authority.
‘I hope that one or a combination of these solutions will reduce the problem because I do feel it's necessary to do something as soon as possible.'
Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) receives complaints from residents about noise, faeces and aggressive behaviour during the nesting season.
Earlier this year an order banning people from feeding seagulls in the city centre was scrapped.
Cllr Alan Amos blasted the decision to axe the feeding ban, saying it would lead to an explosion in the numbers of the ‘vicious flying rats'.
He said: ‘As a councillor and former mayor of Worcester – where the vicious and brassy flying rats have waged war on residents in recent years – I have witnessed first-hand the problems the UK-wide epidemic is causing.
‘One shop owner told me he'd seen a gull ferociously attack a young child in a pushchair, while a constituent emailed to say her dog had been attacked..'
A Worcester City Council spokesperson said: ‘An Annual Gull Report will be presented to the City Council's Environment Committee on November 5.
‘This will provide councillors with an opportunity to consider a gull management programme for 2025.'
