Stop feeding seagull 'muggers', beachgoers told

Seagulls have been accused of "mugging" people for their food

New signs warning people not to feed seagulls have been put up in towns on the East Yorkshire coast.

More than 30 have been put up in car parks, bus stations and around sea fronts in Bridlington, Hornsea and Withernsea.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council said feeding the birds turned them into pests and there were "many reports of gulls 'mugging' people for their food".

Councillor Barbara Jefferson, the cabinet member for the coast, said: "We want to make our seaside towns much more pleasant places and encourage people not to turn these wonderful birds into a nuisance."

Posters will be handed out in takeaways asking people to dispose of food properly in bins.

The council wants to encourage seagulls to return to their natural habitat and diet.

More than 30 signs have been put up in Bridlington, Hornsea and Withernsea

A study in 2020 found that seagulls favour human food, which could partly explain why they have been successful in colonising urban areas.

The council said giving the gulls food encouraged scavenging and aggressive behaviour.

Their droppings could also be harmful to human health, the authority added.

The warning comes after a study found seabird droppings to be the "main contributor" to pollution on Bridlington South Beach.

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