Muircroft Housing Association seeks help from hawk to deal with gull problem

A HOUSING association worker who is being targeted by gulls on a daily basis is now getting help dealing with the problem from a hawk.

A pair of herring gulls has been nesting at Muir House independent living scheme in Dibden Purlieu for several years, becoming “more and more territorial”.

A spokesperson for Muircroft Housing Association (MCHA) said: “Our maintenance manager has been singled out by the gulls on a daily basis as they intimidate him by divebombing him as he goes about his daily tasks, as well as defecating near or on him.

“They not only make a huge amount of noise from very early in the morning, but guard their nest, which is on the roof above the main entrance doorway, very aggressively.”

The spokesperson said MCHA has been working with Natural England for several years to deal with the gulls, which have protected status, while “complying with their procedures and protocols”.

They added: “After working through a long list of ways to deter the birds, MCHA has currently contracted a hawk to visit the scheme on a regular basis in an effort to make the gulls choose a different nesting site in the future.

“As if this is not costly enough, the next step would be to install netting across the entire roof.”

MCHA’s management board chair Jean Adams added: “We are seriously concerned about the day-to-day safety of not only our staff but also our tenants, who are older people, many of whom are vulnerable.

“We are very limited to what we can do to ease the situation, which is very unpleasant for our staff, for our tenants and for those who visit the scheme. However, we are constantly in consultation with the relevant authorities in an effort to find a suitable solution.

“If we have to net the entire building’s roof then we will have to do it, although this is an expense we would like to avoid.”