'Clap for carers' to keep gulls at bay, Worcester residents told

Worcester City Council previously ruled out a cull to reduce gulls in the city

The weekly "clap for carers" tribute is helping with a city's seagull problem, a council has claimed.

Worcester is home to a "significant" population of gulls which create problems around noise, attacks and mess.

Action is being taken by the council during peak gull season to deter the birds from nesting on rooftops.

Residents are now being encouraged to applaud NHS and key workers on Thursday evenings to help keep gulls "at bay".

Worcester City Council has tried a number of methods to target gulls, but none have significantly reduced the gull population or resolved the issues.

In October the authority said it would not proceed with a cull after it was told it would be illegal.

Methods being taken during the coronavirus lockdown include the use of acoustic devices that emit recorded gull distress calls through a megaphone, which is being trialled by residents in Lower Wick and Britannia Square.

The authority said one Lower Wick resident reported that the gulls flew into the air not only when the device was sounded, but also during the applause.

Joy Squires, chair of the council's environment committee, said the lockdown had seen less food and waste discarded in the city centre, reducing the gulls' food supply.

"I'd also encourage Worcester residents to keep on clapping and cheering in support of key workers. Not only is it helping to raise morale, but it appears to be helping to keep our gull population at bay too," she added.

Hawks and falcons are also being deployed for daily two-hour flights round Britannia Square, near the city centre, with the aim of putting off gulls from nesting there.