MENACING seagulls have left children “bloodied and scarred” after carrying out hundreds of attacks across Scotland.
The brazen birds have left Scots terrified as they travel to new areas across the country in search of food.
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The gulls are venturing further inland to eat due to reducing numbers of fish along coastlines.
But it has sparked a surge of complaints from scared Scots who have been terrorised by the animals.
Almost 700 complaints have been made to local authorities this year already – which is higher than 2023’s total of 600.
Many accounts from coastal communities claim the birds had hurt beloved pets after diving down and attacking them.
While children had been left bloodied and scarred after the birds swooped down and stole their food or attacked them.
Complaints made in the city even included reports that the horrifying gulls were feasting on rats.
I am fed up with weeks of noise at all hours, mess all over the place and being attacked when I leave my house. They are colonising this area and I feel so helpless
Complaint made in Fife
Dozens of complaints have been lodged to councils in Aberdeenshire, Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Fife.
But Glasgow City Council received the highest number of complaints, which has the biggest population of seagulls.
The Scottish Borders have also seen a surge in attacks from the aniamls, and it has been so bad that councillors have been forced to step in.
One councillor has demanded that further action be taken to deal with the problem and said that many children have actually been left with injuries after having been swooped on by the birds.
Under Scottish law, the gulls and their nests and eggs are protected, however, if they pose a serious risk then a special application can be made to remove them.
According to The Daily Mail, concerned locals made reports to Glasgow City Council about people “feeding” birds which was “attracting swarms of seagulls”.
One person said they “couldn’t open a window or go outside” without “being attacked by seagulls” on a daily basis.
While a homeowner in Fife said they felt “helpless” by the menacing birds.
They told the local authority: “We have at least two seagull nests in our street.
“I’ve proofed my house against them but am so fed up with weeks of noise at all hours, mess all over the place and being attacked when I leave my house.
“They are colonising this area and I feel so helpless.”
I regularly have my one-year-old grandson over and a gull swooped stole the food he was about to be given… Things are getting out of hand
Complaint made in North Ayrshire
And one local in North Ayrshire told the local authority: “I regularly have my one-year-old grandson over and a gull swooped stole the food he was about to be given.”
They added: “My neighbour was having dinner and had to run for cover. Things are getting out of hand.”
And it’s not the first time complaints have been made about seagulls stealing food from people.
Back in July, a shocked mum revealed how a cheeky seagull nicked a hot dog straight out of her daughter’s mouth.
Lucy Stewart, 33, could not believe her eyes as the brazen bird flapped down and squatted on the head of Chloe, eight, as she sat down to eat the snack.
And just as the schoolgirl tried to take her first bite, the gull grabbed the treat in its beak and flew off with it.
The feathered thief struck as Lucy was enjoying a family day out on the beach at St Andrews, Fife, with Chloe and her sister Nieve, 11.
The stunned parent said: “The seagull came out of no- where and landed on Chloe’s head. It snatched the hot dog before she got any of it.
“You just don’t expect something like that to happen.
“I was worried about Chloe but she was fine — although she did say it hurt a bit.”
Lucy added: “We ate the rest of our food quickly just to be on the safe side.
“We didn’t want anything like that happening again. We stayed for a while to let the girls toast marshmallows on the barbecue.
“But everyone seems to have a seagull story. I had no idea how big an issue this is.”
A hockey venue in Inverness was also forced to close temporarily over the summer after seagulls left a huge mess on the pitch.
‘WE NEED TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH THEM’
GULLS are getting more gallus than ever, according to new stats. A survey revealed that attacks from the fly seabirds have increased for a fourth year in a row.
But, despite the rise, experts say we need to learn to live with the feathered fiends, as they are in danger of going extinct.
Viola Ross-Smith, Science Communications Manager for the British Trust for Ornithology, said: “I’m in the live and let live camp – we have internationally important populations of these birds in the UK so if we lost all our herring gulls and lesser black backed gulls that would affect what is left in the world and they would be at risk of extinction.”
While it may seem like the seabirds have become the scourge of cities across the country, experts say they are in major decline, especially in their natural habitats on the coast.
And although victims of gull attacks might think that the birds have become more savvy as they move from the coast to the city, the experts say it’s just in their nature to be cheeky.
Viola said: “They are quite bold and brazen animals.
“When they are together with other gulls, whether they are the same or different species, they feed in this kind of big feeding frenzy.
“They will come and grab food from each other, they have just adapted that natural behaviour to us. They will habituate to us to some extent but I don;t think they have actually fundamentally changed.”
Highland Hockey Club told how its synthetic surface at Bught Lane had shut due to health and safety concerns as a result of the birds.
And the situation has become so bad in one Scottish town that a beachfront cafe introduced a new “seagull insurance”.
Sam Larg, who owns Cheesy Toast Shack in St Andrews, Fife, was left hundreds of pounds a week out of pocket after having to replace toasties that were stolen by seagulls.
Sam and wife Kate have been struggling to cope with the winged thieves swooping down and nicking the food.
They have seen customers with cut fingers and scratched faces as the birds help themselves to the grub.
As a result, the couple introduced an optional £1 charge to protect their sarnies – and 800 people opted for the fee in the first week.
The charge covers the cost if they have to replace food that is stolen by the birds.
This is now about public safety. We have a responsibility to protect wildlife, but must also acknowledge the impact herring gulls can have on our communities
James Anderson
Gavin Lindsay, who deals with complaints made in Edinburgh and the borders as manager at Anglo Scottish Pest Control, said he seen seagulls behave as though they are “birds of prey”.
He told The Daily Mail: “I have observed a gull, which was sitting on top of a bin, shooting upwards and swallowing a starling in mid-air, like a bird of prey.
“It was quite remarkable and shows the capability of these birds.
“They are intelligent creatures and able to recognise our staff, and we have seen gulls gather in huge numbers and act aggressively towards us when they see us coming out of our vans.
“Most birds are protected although we can apply for a licence to remove gulls if they pose a genuine risk.
“However, it’s a complex area and we are generally backing away from this area of work.”
It has prompted James Anderson, an independent councillor in the Scottish Borders, to call for further action to be taken against the birds.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
He said “In Eyemouth, we have seen multiple gull strike victims, with children attacked and left with gashes to the scalp and blood running down their faces. This is now about public safety.
“We have a responsibility to protect wildlife, but must also acknowledge the impact herring gulls can have on our communities.”
