DRONES are being used to tackle the problem of nuisance gulls in the city centre.

The new technique has been used by Worcester City Council as part of attempts to reduce gull attacks.

Drones fitted with cameras have been sent up in High Street to fly over buildings and spot hard-to-reach gull nests. The newly-discovered nests will be targeted as part of the authority's work to control gull numbers in the city by replacing birds’ eggs with life-like dummies, bringing down the numbers of chicks that hatch in the city.

The drones are being funded through £15,000 set aside annually by the authority to tackle the problem of gulls in the city. As well as drones the money is being spent on a range of initiatives including expanding the egg replacement programme, trials of new gull-proof bins, funding for gull-proof waste sacks for businesses and exploring whether painting roofs red deters gulls from landing and nesting on them.

Councillor Joy Squires, chairman of the council’s environment committee, said: “The drones were able to reveal hard-to-find gull nests hidden between chimney pots or squeezed into narrow roof gullies.

“We would never have been able to spot these nests from the ground, so to get a bird’s eye view is enormously helpful as we increase our efforts to control gull numbers in the city.”

The first flights, which were led by Firefly Aerial Imaging, spotted a number of nests with young gull chicks. Because gulls habitually nest in the same spots each year, this means action can now be taken in the next breeding season to reduce the numbers hatching.

Councillor Alan Feeney, vice chairman of the committee, added: “Knowing where more gulls’ nests are hidden means that when it gets to breeding season next year we’ll be able to bring in a cherry picker to reach and treat even more of their nests.

“If fewer chicks hatch each year in Worcester, that means there will be fewer adult birds around to make noise, scavenge food and spread their droppings on our buildings and pavements.”