Seagull-proof sack call to avoid 'annual menace'

The council said the bags helped deal with the "annual seagulls menace"

Residents in a coastal area in south Devon have been advised to use seagull-proof rubbish sacks to prevent birds scattering litter.

South Hams District Council provides bags free to homes without wheelie bins or where waste lorries cannot access.

It said the bags were "a simple but effective solution to the annual seagull menace".

The council said it was working to arrange waste collections to avoid bags being left out longer than needed.

Rufus Gilbert, the council's environment services executive member, said "only takes one property not use them and the seagulls get to work, making a mess."