Council hire hawk to tackle 'killer' seagulls

A London council has hired a hawk to tackle "killer" seagulls which are attacking people and dogs.

Seagulls have been seen attacking residents and visitors near Kemp House in Berwick Street, Soho.

Westminster City Council has paid for a hawk to patrol the area during seagull nesting season in early May.

"These birds of prey are trained to scare, and not kill, other birds that can be a pest for people living and working nearby," the council said.

The council's executive director of environment Raj Mistry said: "As well as being extremely noisy, gulls also create a mess in their search for food, and their excrement can spread diseases, such as salmonella.

"This measure is in addition to the installation of spikes and netting."

Locals previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) there had seen a series of attacks by gulls on by-passers and small dogs, and holes had been ripped out of pigeons.

One woman was attacked when she allegedly moved a nest on the roof last spring.

Local trader Robin told the LDRS the area was known as "seaside Soho" during the lockdown "when you had all the seagulls and al-fresco dining".

He said: "They attacked dogs. You see seagulls come down repeatedly and stab a pigeon in the side and kill them."

A contractor will fly the bird from Kemp House's roof three times a week.

The council's Labour group said in a newsletter: "The problem with seagulls continues and we have urged the housing department to take the necessary action to control the problem."Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone introduced hawks to Trafalgar Square to hunt and scare off pigeons in the early 1990s.

Hawks are also employed at the Wimbledon tennis tournament to prevent pigeons interfering with play.