Queen of the South ask for patience in seagull battle

A football club has appealed for fan patience as it tries to tackle the mess and nuisance of scavenging seagulls.

Scottish Championship side Queen of the South said it had received a number of complaints following a cup clash with Motherwell at the weekend.

The Dumfries outfit said it was "well aware of the issues" but it faced "pretty much an impossible task".

The club said it had tried "various things" as it continued to try to eradicate the problem.

The Doonhamers' groundsman and other staff were out on the Palmerston Park pitch until late on Friday night before the game trying to stop the birds roosting on the park which causes "all sorts of problems".

"It is very disheartening for everyone as many people gave up their time on Sunday 30 June to come in to help with the Palmerston tidy up, which involved the cleaning of seats," said a statement.

"Unfortunately with the number of seagulls that have taken up residency, the hard work carried out that day has been undone.

"Football grounds are a great attraction for them and we have already tried playing birds of prey noises over the sound system as well as flying bird of prey kites above the stands but they eventually get wise and come back."

The club said it had been "horribly stretched" with games starting so early and appealed for fans to play their part in tackling the issue.

They have been asked to use litter bins provided and "hopefully it will not be too long before the seagulls move on".

"We will continue to pursue other ways to deter them," the club added.