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RSPB says seagull complaints are at highest for a decade
Aggressive seagull attacks are on the rise all over the duchy and people are taking extreme approaches to deal with them.

Seagull attacks are at their highest in a decade, according to the RSPB, the charity which helps provide a healthy environment for birds.

From tales of shocking horror as seagulls are lured to their deaths under the wheels of passing cars, to fed up postmen abandoning their delivery rounds for fear of being dive-bombed, it seems seagulls are causing quite a stir across Cornwall.

The RSPB could not say why there are more complaints coming out of Cornwall this year than previously. But it says seagulls generally become more aggressive when nesting.

For one pensioner in Truro, it is nesting seagulls which are causing her grief.

Jon Haynes says she is kept awake until 3am by seagulls squawking loudly and the pitter-patter of webbed feet over the roof of her home on Kenwyn Street.

Mrs Haynes, who lives alone, says the noise is becoming unbearable and the seagulls are aggressive.

They have also defecated all over her house. She said: "It's horrible. They have woken me up every night for the past week. I want to get out in to my garden and feed the regular birds there. This just seems to spur the gulls on. One of my friends was walking through the centre of Truro and was divebombed by a couple of seagulls. There must be something that can be done, maybe a cull is in order, but I think that is illegal."

Meanwhile, in Perranporth, postmen were forced to abandon their delivery routes after they were repeatedly dive-bombed by seagulls on Liskey Hill Crescent.

And Helston Mayor, Councillor Jonathan Radford-Gaby, warned that the council there is considering fining or 'naming and shaming' people whose black bin bags are ripped apart by seagulls.

In a shocking "scene of horror" gulls are being lured to their deaths in St Ives.

Artist Linda Weir says she saw a group of local young men sadistically luring one seagull to its death under the wheels of a passing car and leaving another bloodied and mutilated.

RSPB spokesman Tony Whitehead suggested the seagulls' aggressive nature will calm down: "This is the time of year when chicks begin to hatch. Of course, they remain flightless for some time but this period normally only lasts for a few weeks. During that time, the gulls become very aggressive towards humans. I think the issue will pass very soon.

"Gulls cannot be culled, as with any bird, they are protected.

"There's been an increased number of phone calls to us this year, more so than the past eight or so years from the Cornwall area, and we're not sure why.

"But once the young have begun to fly, it usually calms down."

Factfile:

Herring gulls, or the common seagull, are protected under the Conservation of Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2000.means it is illegal to intentionally injure or kill any gull or to take, damage or destroy an active nest or its contents.

There are things you can do to deter gulls from nesting on your roof. The most effective measure is removing all food from outside your home. You can also reduce the attractiveness of a nest site by putting up barriers. Plastic eagle owls or spikes on your roof can also act as a deterrent.

Seagull chicks leave the nest at an early age and it is common to find them on the ground after falling from the nest. You should leave the chick where it is because the parents will look after it.

When feeding birds in the garden, do not throw scraps on the ground. It could result in loud gulls resting on your roof looking for the next meal.