A FRESH investigation over reducing Worcester's seagull population is taking place - with a hunt for "new ideas" in tackling the menace.

Worcester City Council's Labour leadership wants to ask the scrutiny committee to consider extra measures for getting the birds out.

A new report on it says the tactics could include:

- Expanding the current programme of fake eggs on roofs - One-to-one advice for cafes with outside seating areas on how to stop seagulls swooping

- Support for private landowners who may want to use fake eggs themselves

- Flying birds of prey around the city from "early March" as a deterrent

- Using 'gull-proof bins' around the city centre which the birds are unable to fly down and grab food from

The measures will be forwarded onto the scrutiny committee, which operates cross-party, to see if any are worthy of spending.

It come as the Labour cabinet appears to be ready to reject a Tory bid to earmark an immediate £15,000 towards tackling the gulls.

The report, due to be discussed this Tuesday, warns against drawing together a cash kitty now, saying the extra money diverted towards it could end up being more or less than £15,000.

Cllr Jabba Riaz, cabinet member for clean, green and leisure services, said: "My thinking is, if I commit to £15,000 now will it actually be effective?

"It's not an easy one, and that's why I want to refer it to scrutiny - hopefully we can gather a broad set of views and then make a decision.

"We are curbing the seagull population as it is, but as a result of that it's a law of diminishing returns, it now requires a broad set of minds to look at it and maybe suggest something radical.

"£15,000 will not be enough to deal with the problem, in my opinion."

Cllr Marc Bayliss, who leads the opposition Conservative group, said: "We need to take action on seagulls.

"We don't need dithering and delay, we've got to get on with it."

The council works with pest control experts Red Kite, which has used a tactic of leaving fake eggs on roofs in recent years to discourage the birds from leaving real ones.

Population counts do point to a steady decline in recent years, with the nesting pair tally of 181 at the end of the last breeding season - down from 217 in 2013 and 296 in 2011.