Demand for urgent action on this mess

Areas such Huntriss Row, the Spa Bridge and many other places are caked in droppings from herring gulls and kittiwakes – where is the town’s leadership?

Residents, business owners and visitors have all complained to this newspaper about the shame this brings them to see the town in this state, especially when so much work is being done to improve the educational, leisure, cultural and tourism aspects.

Tellingly, when our reporter contacted both Scarborough Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council to ask who was responsible for cleaning up the streets both councils were quick to respond to say that it was the other’s problem.

Previously, it has been said that nothing can be done because certain birds are protected. Well, where is the pressure to get the law changed, what is happening to draw attention to the damage to the environment?

Do shoppers have to just endure the odour and slime in the main streets and see the beauty of our area spoiled?

At the Peasholm naval warfare show, the commentator could not be seen because the bandstand windows were covered in gull debris, shocking the visitors.

We need more pride in the town’s appearance.

Scarborough borough has FIFTY councillors – what are they doing to stop the mess?

Scarborough Council’s much-hyped “seagull taskgroup” was formed to look at ways for the residents and the birds to co-exist ... and its recommendations? Thick bin bags and more unheeded warnings about not feeding the birds.

These actions are pointless. They do not stop birds nesting above the town’s streets, they do not stop people forcing rubbish into overflowing bins that are a magnet for the hungry birds.

Nothing is going to stop gulls doing their business on our cars, streets and buildings – or stop the gulls from swooping food snatches from men, women and children.

One resident on the Scarborough News Facebook page said they would “never eat in Huntriss Row” due to the mess, while others said the street now “stunk”. Is this the best that the combined forces of Town Hall and County Hall can achieve?

Scarborough was recently named as the second most visited UK destination behind London but that will not remain the case for long if the images in the pictures on this page are what greet people.

A Scarborough Council spokesman said: “We do try to keep the areas below nests clean but we are limited as to what we can do with the resources and methods we have available to us.

“We do try to wash by hand where we can and plan to carry out cleaning of badly affected areas in the next couple of weeks to reduce inconvenience to the public.”

Kittiwakes are protected birds and their eggs cannot be removed by law – Scarborough should take the lead and get the law changed via the Commons.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron opened the door to a change of policy on seagulls after a dog was attacked and killed by ravenous gulls, saying it was time to have a “big

conversation” about the problem. Let’s make sure the new Prime Minister does not let this slide!

Tell your councillors – and officers – to get something done. You can find them at www.scarborough.gov.uk, www.northyorks.gov.uk and MPs Robert Goodwill and Kevin Hollinrake via www.robertgoodwill.co.uk and www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk.