Warning as gulls head back to city

CARDIFF will be home to more than 5,000 unwanted seagulls by 2020, a pest-control firm has warned.

The city is already home to more than 3,500 nesting pairs – due to start returning to the city in coming weeks to nest.

Barren Bishop, a surveyor for NBC Environment, has warned of the risks a growing gull population poses to the public.

“The build-up of fouling is the biggest risk,” he said. “It does create a slip or trip risk.”

Mr Bishop also warned that people should look out for peckish birds. He said: “They swoop and dive at people to take food. We do have records of incidents where they’ve caused injuries.”

Mr Bishop explained why so many keep coming back to Cardiff.

He said: “They come here to pair up, and once paired they start looking for their nesting sites – that starts to happen in April.”

Gulls can be deterred from using nesting sites with netting, barriers and high-tech laser systems.

Mr Bishop said: “You have things like netting systems but that’s expensive, and for people who have a real problem we have a laser system

“My team’s preferred option is to use birds of prey – it lets nature tackle nature.”

Last year NBC Environment flew a Harris Hawk at the St David’s shopping centre three times a week in the areas favoured by gulls.

That programme, with Cardiff council’s own gull programme, meant no nests were found at St David’s for the first time.

Mr Bishop said: “People need to be aware of the risks of encouraging gull populations, I have genuinely seen people feed them in the streets.

A Cardiff City Council spokesman said: “The council has a waste strategy to ensure, where possible, waste is in wheeled bins. We ask everyone to put the correct waste in the containers provided.”

It is illegal to kill or injure any UK bird, or to move and destroy a nest. A licensed professional can remove nests and eggs up to hatching.