People living in a sleepy Welsh village are being terrorised by seagulls, with some left needing hospital treatment after a series of attacks. Residents have warned the issue is "worse than it has ever been" as medical treatment and tetanus shots have been needed as a result of a number of incidents where people have been mobbed by gulls in Llanfairpwll.
Gareth Parry, who has lived in the area for decades, has admitted that he now "thinks twice" about leaving the house. The 70-year-old explained how he felt Anglesey Council should do more to address the issue, explaining how gulls can be aggressive around their chicks and, as the population in the area grows, more problems occur.
Read more: Teacher killed in 150ft fall after search for Snowdonia 'infinity pool' she'd seen on TikTok
The pensioner told North Wales Live : "This is a problem that we've been having every summer for years now but this year it's even worse. Once the seagulls have their chicks, they become extra aggressive to the point where you think twice about leaving the house. They nest near the houses, on the streets, and across the village centre, and if you get anywhere near one of them, you'll get attacked by three or four of them.
"Some people I know have had to go to hospital for tetanus shots and there was one woman recently who injured her arm quite badly after falling while being attacked. I was talking to people on my street the other day and they said they won't take their dogs out for a walk because they're afraid of being bombarded - it's that bad. It's like being back in lockdown for some people, but at least in lockdown you could walk your dog without being attacked.
"Before the schools shut for the summer holidays, some of the pupils were afraid to go in because the seagulls had nested in the building next door. I know of some of them who didn't go to school in fear of being divebombed by seagulls on their way in the morning.
"When the chicks start to grow and walk around the village by themselves, that's when the problems seem to start. The seagulls are obviously protective of them and they'll attack anyone who comes anywhere near them. I've had them dive towards me but I've not been bitten or attacked yet. If there's a chick anywhere near my garden, I know I won't be able to go out because I'll just get pounced upon. The problem goes away towards the end of the summer normally but it's getting worse now year on year. I think if the problem continues next year, people will start to take things into their own hands. If I could, I'd send my council tax to the seagulls because they own this village now. Something needs to be done, so many of us have complained to the council but nothing is being done."
The RSPB says all species of gull are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Its website explains: "This makes it illegal to intentionally or, in Scotland and Northern Ireland, recklessly injure or kill any gull or damage or destroy an active nest or its contents. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, it is also illegal to prevent birds from accessing their nest and, in Northern Ireland, it is illegal to disturb any nesting bird."
Some local authorities attempt to control the numbers of urban gulls by egg-oiling or nest destruction, but these actions do not appear to have the desired effect, the RSPB states. Reducing the organic waste taken to landfill sites and, in towns, preventing street littering, and making public waste bins, domestic and business waste containers and collection arrangements "gull-proof" are effective deterrents according to the organisation. Anglesey Council has been approached for comment.
To receive news from across Wales straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters here.
READ NEXT:
- Man runs down street in panic as gull swoops to attack
- Beach becomes eerie mass 'graveyard' for thousands of crabs
- Gull shoplifts 18 bags of crisps and a flapjack from Heron Foods
- Town under siege as 'vicious' seagulls attack people in the street with locals scared to leave their cars
- Gull dies after man repeatedly kicked it for taking child's ice cream
