Ashley’s gull horror

‘Terrifying’ birds swooped on mum and made off with bagel

Ashley Mackey, 40, a cleaner and hairdresser from Downfield, said up to six of the birds swooped on her outside the Overgate.

The mum-of-three said: “My colleague Lorna was out to get something to eat and I had a bagel. I just tore open the tinfoil a tiny bit to eat it.

“The next thing two of them attacked me, pecking at my head. Then another four came between me and Lorna and they took the bagel and it went flying up in the air. They were fighting over it. It was terrifying – I had a sore head.”

Earlier this month, we reported on Christine Kerr, 73, who was injured on Whitehall Street when she was attacked by gulls. Ashley added: “If you watched people eat in the city centre for an hour you would see it happen at least once.”

Gulls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it illegal to kill, injure or remove any wild bird.

Shooting the animals is only ever considered where it has been demonstrated every non-lethal alternative has been exhausted.

A council spokeswoman said: “We are proactive in improving the waste disposal facilities in and around the city centre. Bins have been provided in areas where previously waste bags were placed on the footpaths and became magnets for gulls.

“Routine monitoring ensures that problem areas are swiftly identified to enable further action to be taken.

“Pest control officers are actively involved in removing eggs and nests throughout the breeding season, which is approximately April-July, and while this action greatly reduces the incidences of aggressive behaviour as well as disrupting and reducing the breeding pattern, it can take between five and seven years for the effect to take hold.” Ourvoice

A WOMAN has described the “terrifying” moment a colony of gulls attacked her outside a shopping centre and stole her bagel.

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Ashley was attacked by gulls which made off with her bagel.