Beat the seagull bullies: How YOU can keep away from being centered through the feathered thugs menacing Britain’s seashores stealing snacks and attacking canine

From St Ives to Tenby, no beach the city is really protected from the threat of seagulls, who swoop down on unsuspecting vacationers, cautious locals and deserted garbage as they cross to any way to safe a delectable snack.

But the worry instilled through the bellicose gulls may just quickly be at an finish – after MailOnline took to seashores up and down the rustic to position new methods to the check. 

Terrorised locals informed how the birds, emboldened through trainer a whole lot of vacationers feeding them, have taken to dive bombing plates, swooping on unattended meals pieces or even running in gangs to safe a delectable snack. 

MailOnline has examined recommendation from Britain’s best seagull professionals on how you can keep away from being centered through the militant birds on vacation – as citizens of seaside cities across the nation informed how they save you their meals from being snatched out in their palms. 

Dr Neeltje Boogert, a analysis fellow in behavioural ecology on the University of Exeter, informed how dressed in contrasting patterns, staring gulls down and wielding an umbrella can all lend a hand holidaymakers keep away from seagulls stealing meals this summer time.

But citizens of beach cities similar to St Ives, Brighton and Tenby informed how vacationers are making the issue worse through littering or even feeding the birds themselves. 

They blamed trainer a whole lot of guests arriving within the space and emboldening seagulls, sooner than leaving locals to deal with the aftermath. 

After a chain of scary incidents lately through which seagulls have even taking to invading other folks’s properties, MailOnline examined out a few of Dr Boogert’s tricks to lend a hand holidaymakers keep away from heartbreak this summer time.

In Brighton, MailOnline discovered vicious seagulls were not cast off through a few of Dr Boogert’s guidelines – and nonetheless rotated our reporter in an try to thieve some tasty chips.

Wearing a striped blouse gave the impression to make no distinction to the gulls, who required no encouragement to enclose the reporter and cheekily snatch snacks out in their palms.

Adding the staring element, most of the birds did appear extra hesitant, with maximum closing two to a few ft clear of our reporter’s chip tray.

But the extra voracious birds remained undeterred, with one almost touchdown within the chip tray itself in its decision to experience a complete abdominal.

When an umbrella was once deployed then again, it appeared to cast off the birds totally. None attempted to snatch a sneaky chip and our reporter was once left to experience a meal in peace.

Locals informed of different ways they’ve evolved to stay themselves – and their lunch – protected. 

Dr Boogert defined that many animals in finding highly-contrasting patterns aversive, so dressed in garments that characteristic this, similar to stripes or leopard print, may just lend a hand deter seagulls.

Jana Kalinova, 56, swims incessantly at Brighton seaside. Originally from Czechoslovakia, she lived in London for 18 years sooner than shifting to the south coast after the loss of life of her spouse in 2020.

Ms Kalinova, who described her transfer to Brighton as ‘a dream’, has evolved her personal tactics of outwitting seagulls after being centered whilst taking part in meals at the rocks.

‘I’m now not petrified of them, they do not chew you,’ she mentioned. ‘The downside with the seagulls is if you have youngsters, you want to look at them.

‘I all the time say to other folks, if you will devour, I discovered this out myself, devour through a wall. 

‘I simply completed my breakfast and they did not contact me in any respect. They’re petrified of flying into the wall.

‘The 3rd week once I moved to Brighton, I gradual roasted some duck for a sandwich and I mentioned, adequate, I’m going to the seaside. 

‘I opened my meals bag and as I opened it they all got here at me. So I needed to cross and devour it at house.

‘They began establishing among themselves. There was once one on my left, one on my proper, every other one screaming at different birds in the back of me.

‘I mentioned oh no you are going to now not devour my duck. I walked to Asda particularly for this, I paid £9 for it.’

Despite her personal decision, she is aware of how willing the native seagulls are for any unfastened meals.

‘If you get an ice cream, cross to the pier and cling it up and they all will come for it. I all the time say to folks they are able to chew youngsters. 

‘People have began to offer seagulls meals. And as soon as you might have began that is it. But I will devour right here and they are going to now not assault me.’

Dr Boogert has the same opinion with Jana’s technique: ‘Gulls want a very simple or unobstructed method and get away course if they’ll thieve your meals,’ she mentioned.

‘They will method from in the back of, which is blocked when you find yourself status towards a wall, and they are now not comfy flying beneath roofs or bunting.’

She additionally defined: ‘Gulls in finding the human gaze aversive and are much less prone to method your meals when you find yourself staring them down,’ she defined.

Retired pensioner Janet Churchman, 84, informed how native seagulls are inspired to swipe meals through vacationers littering at the stunning Brighton seafront.

‘If you wish to have to sit down outdoor on an afternoon like this you’ll simply disregard it,’ she mentioned.

‘When my circle of relatives comes down from London they all the time wish to cross at the pier. That’s been an issue every now and then as a result of in case you have chips or no matter they are going to come down and get them.

‘They’re moderately fierce every now and then, if they are hungry. I do not moderately understand how [you avoid being hassled]. If you have got fish and chips at the pier, you might have had it in point of fact. 

‘I have no idea what you do in point of fact as a result of you’ll’t in point of fact shoot them are you able to?’

She endured: ‘Coach a whole lot of vacationers come right here and they are now not used to the seagulls. They unfold out and so they go away such a lot garbage in the back of. 

‘It’s rarely sudden that seagulls are feeding off of it. They wish to be skilled firstly – in the event that they wish to come, take their clutter away.’

Deb Klein, a photographer who used to reside in Brighton, was once visiting her former the city on a go back and forth from her local New York with a pal.

She informed how she has effectively have shyed away from being attacked immediately through any birds through staying mindful: ‘I’ve now not been attacked as a result of I understand how to offer protection to myself. 

‘Whenever I’m consuming outdoor and so they come anyplace close to, I simply throw my frame over my meals and yell at them. And then they cross away. They’ve by no means gotten my meals.

‘Usually, I do not get it as incessantly when strolling but if I’m sitting at a restaurant they arrive and dive down to your desk, into your plates.

‘I’ve noticed it occur. I’ve noticed them come and thieve meals proper out of other folks’s palms.

‘I’m very proactive. But the vacationers have no idea. Numerous them have no idea. It’s unhealthy sufficient that seagulls thieve, however feeding them?’

Several scholars, in the beginning from Bristol, additionally informed how their classmates have been sufferers of native gulls, having sandwiches stolen directly out in their palms. 

‘We had been at the seaside the opposite day,’ one mentioned. ‘I threw some caution rocks of their path, and so they left us on my own after that.’ 

Elsewhere, St Ives in Cornwall is understood for its emerald beach and fashionable artwork gallery – however it’s also infamous for its ruthless seagulls, who will harass any person with meals of their hand.

Gulls are noticed swirling across the picturesque stone seafront, screeching with their mouths open, sooner than recognizing somebody consuming and, looking at them whilst floating within the sturdy winds, taking goal and shedding.

The holidaymaker isn’t touched through the chook, which silently dives, grabs its win and soars away.

MailOnline had now not been on the seaside longer than a couple of mins sooner than recognizing an aged gentleman get swooped through one of the crucial huge birds, who made off with a fair proportion of his rhubarb and strawberry sponge pudding.

Tom Lowry, 74, mentioned it was once the primary time he’d had any hassle with the birds in his five-day vacation.

But the retired engineer mentioned that every now and then he had noticed 15 other folks an afternoon get their ice lotions taken.

‘Everyone knew it was once going to occur’, Mr Lowry, from Coventry, mentioned. ‘All the locals would say: “Here we go”.

‘In September they had been simply as unhealthy. It was once a lot noisier. I’m cautious of them. If they would like your meals they are attempting and get it.’

But he was once now not disenchanted, including: ‘It’s all a part of the British seagull humour. They’re principally enthusiastic about St Ives for some reason why. Things will have to style higher right here.’

Along the seafront, other folks sat hunched over looking to devour their meals whilst the birds hovered overhead, on occasion making the decision and getting into for a swoop sooner than being batted away.

On the sand, guests fared no higher. Lauren White, a communications supervisor from Reading, was once visiting along with her circle of relatives and narrowly have shyed away from getting her sausage roll taken whilst sitting at the seaside.

She mentioned: ‘It was once soaring in the back of me. It did not harm me however it harm my sausage roll because it knocked just a little off the top.

‘We come right here maximum years. You see them take chips and ice cream. We had been sitting having a cup of espresso and one flew over and pooed in our espresso.’

The 33-year-old mentioned she’d had lunches ‘pinched’ and been swooped from in the back of – however that it would not prevent her from returning to her loved beach spot.

St Ives is so widely known for its seagull pest downside that companies have indicators through their menus caution other folks to watch out. 

One fish-and-chip store proprietor mentioned: ‘They like to take everybody’s meals. We get numerous other folks inquiring for extra meals as a result of theirs has been taken. Often we simply give them a unfastened portion. It occurs.’

Poppy Durnall, 32, an HR supervisor from Telford, mentioned the gulls had incessantly attempted to take her meals – however up to now with out luck. She and her husband Toby had been wary about leaving their kid unattended with the birds round.

She mentioned: ‘You cannot go away the kids to devour on their very own. It’s like they know the kids are extra prone as a result of they are smaller.’

Deborah Tompkins, 55, mentioned: ‘They’re specifically unhealthy right here. We have lunches pinched; they’ve swooped down and pinched pasties, baguettes and such things as that.

‘They pop out of nowhere and take your lunch. They come from in the back of.’

The private assistant from Leicestershire mentioned the birds would silently seem. She added: ‘They’re beautiful excellent at what they do, so you have to be to your guard.

‘You cannot experience your lunch since you’re too busy pondering: “Am I going to lose it?”‘

Ms Tompkins mentioned the selection of meals puts at the entrance of the seaside enticed the seagulls to the world – in addition to other folks feeding them.

Sally Clayson, 62, mentioned she was once in a position to sit down in her lawn in close by Hayle with out being afflicted through gulls – however the nightmare would get started when she visited St Ives.

The retired instructing assistant mentioned: ‘They have by no means as soon as taken meals from our lawn. They come right here to paintings and return.

‘Even the kids sit down within the lawn and devour meals and so they simply sit down at the roof.

‘When my youngsters had been more youthful, they might all the time come and take their ice lotions. My dad used to comic story: “Should we buy an extra one for the seagulls?” so we might have a spare.

‘We had been at a restaurant and sat outdoor and my husband ordered a bacon bap and the waitress introduced it out, put it at the desk – she hadn’t even walked away and so they simply swooped and took it.

‘They gave us every other one. I will have to admit, that was once humorous.’

Mark Hall, 62, a retired housing officer from Devon, mentioned: ‘I keep in mind one nicked a pasty from my hand. I’ve noticed one have a cross at a kid’s ice cream.

‘A seagull hopped up onto my lap whilst I used to be consuming a pasty that was once in a paper bag. It in reality sat on me to take a look.

‘But it wasn’t competitive; I’m an animal lover so it is high quality.

‘We all find out about them so you have to stay your wits about you. If you might be consuming meals, stay it coated as a result of then they may not likelihood it and so they may not swoop. 

‘It’s virtually like they know if you are now not paying consideration – like ruin and snatch raiders in the midst of the evening. They’re long gone sooner than you’ll react.

‘We are larger than they’re and on the finish of the day they are going to go into reverse. They’re now not lions. Have you attempted staring down a seagull? They do not take a lot realize.’

Julie Bryant, 74, a retired cashier from Lidney, mentioned: ‘They got here down and whipped an ice cream out of my hand. They’re horrible in St Ives.

‘In the early hours of the morning, there may be the noise. If you might be in a barge or boat or anything else, they are faucet dancing at the roof.

Ms Bryant added: ‘My sister and I had been in St Ives and our husbands had been laying at the seaside. We had been coming again strolling against them and a seagull had part a loaf of bread, which it dropped down directly to my brother in regulation.

‘He shot up and blamed my sister for throwing a loaf of bread – as though she would do this. We had been falling about giggling. It was once the seagull.’

But even in St Ives there may be hope for seaside-lovers, as MailOnline found out when taking to the seaside with a striped blouse, umbrella and big field of clean chips.

As quickly because the field was once opened, the birds descended. Gracefully and and not using a noise rather than the flapping in their wings, they dived down from in the back of, across the again of our neck and delicately grabbed a chip from the open container sooner than flying off.

The gull known as to their buddies and the sky darkened as a dozen rotated within the sky sooner than combating every different off from the pickings.

It was once time to check out the umbrella. Despite heavy winds, retaining the umbrella whilst consuming controlled to stay them off and so they temporarily misplaced hobby.

The huge perimeter of the umbrella intended they had been not able to assault from in the back of and may just now not see their goal. Staring down a gull was once near-impossible, intimidating and did not appear to perturb them.

But not like in Brighton, probably the most a hit way in St Ives was once dressed in stripes – with the yellow-beaked birds turned into temporarily repulsed and moved away.

No quantity of tantalising – waving chips within the sky, leaving the field open – may just get them to come back again and feature a cross on the meals.

Meanwhile the herring gulls in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, appeared a long way too courageous and crafty to be cast off through mental trickery.

Locals declare the hungry gulls paintings as a workforce, concentrated on holidaymakers leaving Greggs or town centre ice cream parlour.

Then as they stroll down the slim boulevard to the harbour the birds swoop from in the back of snatching meals out of other folks’s palms.

Many guests see it as a part of the thrill of a go back and forth to the beach however there may be proof that the birds are getting vicious and feature drawn blood from a few of their sufferers.

One hungry specimen perched outdoor town’s Hope and Anchor pub was once unflinching because it seemed longingly at foods being served to shoppers within the beer lawn.

In town centre locals have christened one of the crucial predators ‘Steven’ after the American actor Steven Segal.

The gull can also be noticed status on a brick wall ready to swoop down on unsuspecting vacationers leaving fish and chip retail outlets. It’s develop into a standard prevalence to listen to a shriek as Steven relieves them in their lunch.

Retired trainer Eileen Hughes, 72, of close by Saundersfoot, believes gulls are taking revenge for our mismanagement of the beach.

She mentioned: ‘They was seabirds however they’ve come ashore to devour as a result of we now have taken the entire fish.

‘I really like all our feathered buddies however seagulls can also be moderately vicious. An ice cream or tray of chips is a large temptation for them. People wish to watch out.

‘I’m dressed in a striped best however that is simply twist of fate – I do not believe it’ll scare the gulls away.’

Her good friend Sally Hicks, additionally a retired trainer from Milford Haven mentioned: ‘I feed the small birds in my lawn after which the gulls come right down to get their percentage. But I’ve spotted they do not like raisins in order that would possibly paintings higher than striped clothes or gazing them.’

Nurse Jess Morgan, from Merthyr Tydfil, on vacation in Tenby with husband Lloyd and kids Alys, 4, and Lowri, 3, says the circle of relatives select to devour inside of pubs and cafes to keep away from gull assaults.

She mentioned: ‘I do not get the attention touch factor, when you take a look at them they give the impression of being again as though to mention I’m in a position to pounce. But I’ll stay dressed in stripes all week to look if it helps to keep them away.’

Retired butcher Dave Jenkins, 72, and his spouse Marilyn, 71, from Bridgend, had been co-incidentally in stripes on an afternoon go back and forth to Tenby.

Dave mentioned: ‘It’s not anything to do with seagulls, we were given dressed one by one this morning and placed on matching tops. I do not believe the seagulls will take a lot realize.

‘I do not thoughts having a staring contest with them so long as I’m having a pint on the identical time.’

Retired meals protection officer Marilyn mentioned: ‘They are unhealthy, they roughly assault you, slightly child in a pram would not stand an opportunity.

‘They appear to grasp the people who find themselves wearing meals and opt for them. You need to be cautious.’

Holidaymaker Clare Jenkinson, 59, from Warrington, mentioned: ‘It’s a part of being through the coast, it occurs at inns all over the place the rustic.

‘We’ve come to be expecting it now if you are wearing a bag of chips the seagulls will swoop down.’

Nurse Karen Currow, 60, on vacation from Gloucester, mentioned: ‘I’ve heard all of it now, I do not believe dressed in stripes and staring will make any distinction.

‘We have a seagull banging on our home windows at Gloucester Royal Infirmary at 4am each and every morning searching for meals.’

A muscular-looking herring gull landed simply ft away as Mail Online spoke to Mrs Currow wearing a blue and white knitted best.

She mentioned: ‘If I had a pasty in my hand now it will be long gone. They are not petrified of anything else.’

Retired builder Andy Mules, 78, from Shillington, Bedfordshire, was once skeptical about staring down seagulls to scare them off.

He mentioned: ‘They are vicious creatures and they’re getting worse every yr. I grew up in Cornwall and they might get into your garbage in a single day.

‘But nowadays they patrol for meals within the daylight and not anything turns out to hassle them. I do not believe stripes or gazing them will do a lot.’

But one piece of recommendation from behavioral ecologist Dr Boogert went down smartly with Tenby’s vacationers – a vibrant umbrella.

Cardiff University scholar Georgia Tomlin, 21, mentioned: ‘The seagulls are suave at swooping right down to get your ice cream – so it is smart to have a brolly on stand-by.’