Looe targets seagull menace

A Cornwall council is telling tourists not to feed the birds in an attempt to cure the problem of scavenging seagulls.

With thousands of trippers preparing to descend on the South West this Easter, councillors for Looe have decided to fight the seagulls through their stomachs.

The advice is part of a multi-pronged attack on the bothersome birds, following previous aborted attempts.

Earlier this year the town advertised for an egg oiler, whose job would have been to coat the gulls' eggs with liquid paraffin.

Getting bolder

The paraffin creates a barrier around the egg which sterilises it.

But that idea has now been ditched because contractors demanded too much money.

Now Caradon District Council is holding a roadshow to discourage feeding of the gulls and to suggest methods of stopping the birds nesting on property.

Environmental health officer Martin Gregory, said: "The seagulls can become very territorial, and anyone coming near them is a potential threat."

One deterrent is an electronic bird scarer which mimics a gull in distress and, over time, should keep gulls away.

And though the gadgets have been effective in some places, the council's trial use of them is not popular with everyone.

One resident said it had no effect on the seagulls and only upset the locals.

Meanwhile on the quayside in Looe, the gulls are getting bolder, summoning their courage for the summer of feasting ahead.

Wednesday, 16 April, 2003.

Reasons

Unfortunately Tidan I have to inform you that you are no longer an admin in ATAI. There have been two many issues in the room when you have been hosting.

Open mic has been way too long and there has been no improvement in this. I have been informed of this by several admins. Also games are not being set up ahead of time and the mic is simply left silent.

I have discussed these things with you in the past and we simply cannot run the room in that manner.

I want to thank you for the work that you have done in ATAI and to let you know that you are still welcoome in the room.

Trust and respect e-mail

Well, are you saying it has never happened to you? I've had it happen with other messengers too...like Yahoo! There are times when Yahoo! won't sign on for me, but it does for others, yet messengers like Pal will log on, and online games will work etc. Other people I know have had the same happen before. So, it's not difficult to believe if it's happened to you.

I thought by now you, as well as others would know I wouldn't just leave without a word unless something had happened. But, I guess you don't trust me at all. And you know what...what do you have against as admins like me, Julie, and other newer admins? They put in just as much work as admins like you, Annette, Willy etc...admins who have been here since the room started. But, where is the respect you give them!? We all respect you, so maybe you should respect us, and trust us too!

And if you think what I said is difficult to believe, then I can say the same about you last night when I asked you to read and you said you couldn't because of vertigo, and that you wouldn't be of any help for a few days. Vertigo doesn't last days! Also, if you truely had vertigo, you shouldn't even be online! So, if you don't trust me...then why should trust you with the vertigo stuff?