Stop feeding the gulls in Moray ...
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People who feed gulls should face much sterner measures than just warning letters from Moray Council.
That's the view of councillor John Divers (Elgin South, Labour) who claims to know of several households where this is taking place in New Elgin.
He said: "People are feeding the birds from their own kitchen windows.
"At 5.30pm you can see the seagulls arriving near where I live because they know that some people are going to feed them.
"A warning letter is not enough. Some form of serious action is required."
The issue was brought up this morning at a meeting of Moray Council.
During the meeting cllr Divers spoke about one woman who had required 23 stitches in a head wound after being attacked by a seagull.
He added that the gull population will continue to grow at 7% every year if no action is taken.
The council's leader Graham Leadbitter (Elgin South, SNP) described the current situation as a "seagull infestation".
He stated that although the council did not have a legal responsibility to act to control the population, it would continue to do so.
The meeting agreed to instruct officers to bring a paper to the next Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee on October 19, outlining potential measures to support communities with gull problems along with costings.
In addition, the leader and chief executive will write to the Scottish Government and local MSPs calling on them to consider a new funding package.
Finally, they will also write to Moray's MP asking him to bring up the issue of some types of gulls being listed as endangered species when they are numerous in Moray.
