Essex and Suffolk Water after solutions to bird problem

Essex and Suffolk Water is appealing for help to solve its seagull problems

A water company is looking for new ways to deal with bird mess.

Essex and Suffolk Water is appealing for help to disperse flocks of gulls from some of its sites.

The company says thousands of gulls have been leaving faeces and feathers at five different sites in Essex.

It said the quality of water had not been affected, but it had caused problems with filters at some treatment works as well as creating an unpleasant working environment for staff.

People are being encouraged to submit suggestions on Northumbrian Water Group's idea-sharing platform, Amplify.

Water supply manager Louise Parker said: "We love the birds, but when they gather in their thousands and create large messes it slows down the processes at the heart of some of our operations.

"We've tried scarecrows, kites and distress calls but the gulls are wise to them."