New gull-proof bin bags beat aggressive birds in one swoop

A SEASIDE resort terrorised by swooping seagulls is fighting back with new “gull-proof ” rubbish bags.

For years Whitehaven in west Cumbria has been besieged by gulls, with postmen refusing to deliver due to attacks by the aggressive “flying rats”.

A former Labour MP, Jamie Reed, even tweeted about seeing local schoolchildren “literally being attacked” by the protected species.

Now however, the seaside town is attempting to tackle the problem in one swoop by limiting the birds’ access to the food they thrive on in residents’ rubbish.

One extra-thick, reusable rubbish bag has been given to residents, which they insert into their normal household rubbish sacks.

Since the introduction of the bags, which can’t be ripped open, attacks have reduced and Whitehaven’s picturesque harbour has been protected from litter.

Local Tory councillor Graham Rob- erts has himself been attacked by the birds and branded the gulls “public enemy number one”.

He said: “The seagull proof bags have made a massive impact. It’s keeping the town tidy. It’s a very low cost initiative for an effective solution.”

Seagulls have been an ongoing problem in west Cumbria.

Last summer, a postman refused to deliver to four houses in Maryport due to attacks from a nearby nest of aggressive gulls.

The postal company eventually employed a falconer and his hawks to scare away the birds.

Two years ago, Mr Roberts dubbed the birds “flying rats” after hearing re- ports of them swooping down on children to steal ice creams out of their hands.

As well as scaring residents, the seagulls had been putting shoppers off visiting Whitehaven for fear of being dive-bombed by the birds, especially on the harbour.

“This is having a detrimental effect on the town and we can’t let that happen,” Mr Roberts said at the time.

The issue became so serious that Sue Hayman, MP for the Workington constituency which includes Maryport, and shadow minister for coastal communities, advocated culling gulls as a last resort during a parliamentary debate on the subject in February.

It’s a “serious health and safety issue”, she said.

The gull-proof bags are available for residents and businesses in Whitehaven.

They are emptied by Copeland Council employees and then returned in the same way as the household bin.

‘Seagulls are public enemy number one, but the new tougher bin bags have made a massive, low-cost impact’