Posted By David Clarkson chris Based on personal experience. Seagulls nesting on roof should be identified as a hazard prior to anyone accessing roof area for maintenance/repair etc. and taken into consideration at risk assessment process. If swooping on persons at ground level - prior to any control measures being taken - advise checking whether species of gull is protected.

Posted By Alison Dando Do as Steve suggests and contact your local hawk centre. With pidgeons you can also cull them using registered pest control people using air rifles (they use corn to bring them into an area they can control for culling purposes), unfortunately seagulls aren't usually as easy. You will need to discuss with the hawking centre that they bring the birds in at different times of the day, otherwise the seagulls get clued upto a set time and fly off. Also with hawks you won't have many people ringing up the RSPCA as they do with pest controllers using air rifles. If you are in a semi rural area you will need to watch the local crow population as it has been recorded that they will gather in numbers to attack a working hawk and the hawking centre will then pull out. This advice only sorts out an immediate issue but you need to find out why the seagulls are drawn to your bulidings in the first place (rubbish bins not closed properely, scraps of food left out for the local pet cat? etc. If it is waste scraps then watch out for rats as well)and try and sort out the route cause of the attraction if possible.

Posted By Martin Gray Chris, Try contacting Gloucester City Council they had a well publicised problem with a car park attendent being dive bombed. I don't know what the out come was but it does not appear in the local press anymore. Their H&S Dept number is 01452 396304, they might be able to help.

Posted By Chris Pollington Thanks to all who responded, I now have some good leads to follow. Chris.

Posted By Frederick Mars Chris I wouldn't bother with the plastic scary birds if I were you. We have a few of these -they worked for a few weeks ( if that ) but are now all covered in **it. Word soon gets around that these guys are fake.

Posted By Nigel Lusby I think to all those who suffer a similar problem, all seagulls are big, ugly and noisy, though I have heard other expressions. They start to exhibit this somewhat aggressive behaviour as the breeding season commences, and it culminates when the chicks are hatched. Then the full force of the avian aggression reaches a crescendo. Woe to him who dares walk near with a white hard hat, this sends our avian friends apoplectic with rage (seems only fair to a species with such reputed ocular capability, surely a white hard hat looks exactly like a seagull). At this time of year there seems little incentive to remaining late at work. For the lone car in the car park is something to be savoured by our seagull friends, indeed looking at the resultant mess, worth saving themselves all day for. There can be few things like walking towards your car, seeing a group of seagulls lift en-mass from its roof, while shrieking joyously after their recent release and clipping you on the back of the head as they fly off. I think they are all protected and quite right as well. For with their somewhat strange behaviour, they surely need it. I think the trick is to stop them nesting. Good luck. Nigel

Posted By Laurie Two points to consider, one of which has already been covered. Thses gulls are being attracted by two things, food and breeding suitability. Find out where the food is being made available and eliminate it. (the old method of filling a roast potato with carbide is no longer acceptable!) If you have nice flat roofs or similar suitable for nesting find some method of making life difficult. The most cost effective soulution, depending on the site and your local water company, is lawn sprinklers - they only need to be in place for a month or so. For nearly all common species it is permissible to remove the eggs if you can gain access - check with your local bird group. Once they are hatched they have prtotection Laurie

Posted By Paul Adams Have had considerable experience at the receiving end of this problem with nesting on top of oil storage tanks where daily access is required. The only cure is completely unethical! The same bird will nest in the same location every year and it's offspring will take over the "ancestral home" in due course unless disuaded in a permanent manner! If you cure the problem this year, it will return next year.

Posted By Shaun The plastic owls were tried up here in sunny North of Scotland, they made a lovely perch for the Seagulls. We have had cases of Seagulls actully physically striking people which is not only painful but very sore. We have also had instances of them snatching food from hands when persons leaving canteen. I am afraid that as we feed them too often they have no fear of man or woman. From voice of experience it is no fun when they swoop down and attack, often deposting there lunch as they do so.

Posted By Robert Thomas Thought for the day - "Thank goodness cows can't fly"

Posted By Nigel Lusby Interestingly as has been stated, it is apparently perfectly permissible to remove the eggs before they are hatched. I mentioned to our groundsman that the eggs of the Black Headed Gull are a recognised delicacy. In fact sold in Harrods and other purveyors of fine foods, apparently the way of it is hard boiled with a pinch of celery salt, adored by Gourmets (allegedly), and each egg sold for over £1:80 . As I remember the groundsmans' eyes narrowed, whether in disbelief in their edibility, possibly whether celery salt was the best condiment or indeed as he calculated the capital return from such a harvest. Regards Nigel