Could ‘bird-proof ’ bin bags solve the seagull riddle?
“Seagull-proof” bin bags are set to snapped up in a bid to rid Scarborough’s seafront of bird-induced litter.
There are plans afoot to snap up the £8 ultra-durable bags, that would possibly put a halt to gluttonous gulls from ravaging rubbish sacks - and scattering food all over the South Bay streets.
Besides divebombing, traders have moaned that the hungry gulls have been eyeing up bin bags for their next meal.
“They c an s mell t he f i s h and chips and s weet treats, and don’t care about the damage they cause - they just swoop down and cause chaos,” said one trader.
“I think anybody working down here would welcome this, as it should hopefully help clean it up.”
T h e b a g s h ave a l re a d y proved a hit in Whitby following a trial, and seagull campaigner and councillor Andrew Jenkinson said it’s just one of several new i deas being l ooked at to combat the “nuisance” birds.
Among t hose f l oate d re - cently include scaring them off with a cannon and lacing fish and chips with grape juice to deter them from snatching the seaside staple.
A host of ideas are expected to go before the council, and Cllr Jenkinson said: “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t take this on.
“We’ve made a lot of progress over the last year, and in these meetings we’ve come up with a load of great ideas.
“I don’t know when exactly it will go before the council, but I’d like to think we could get this issue raised before the (May) election.”
The seagull issue has proved div i s ive i n re c ent years, al - though an informal Scarborough News poll s howed t he vast majority of the public felt something should be done, with residents complaining of being attacked by birds coming too far inland.