Hawk patrol to cut Sunderland seagull 'nuisance'

Horatio will scare the gulls and encourage them to nest elsewhere

A hawk has been drafted in scare seagulls away from a busy city centre.

Sunderland City Council said every year it received dozens of complaints about the aggressive birds.

The Harris hawk will patrol Mowbray Park, High Street West and Market Square four times a week until September to deter them from nesting.

The bird called Horatio, which is on loan from North East Falconry, was not bred to hunt, so there is no risk of harming any gulls.

Councillor Amy Wilson said: "When the weather is nice, and people want to visit a city centre attraction such as Mowbray Park, it's a shame it can be ruined by nuisance gulls.

"I know a lot of residents, traders and visitors who will be pleased at this."

Hawk handler Glen Purves said: "All the actions are a humane deterrent and not intended for the gulls to be attacked or harmed.

"The hawk simply scares the seagulls and encourages them to choose somewhere else to nest."