Porthmadog primary school hawk to deter seagulls

A falcon and a hawk are being used to tackle nuisance seagulls near a primary school in Gwynedd.

The birds will be flown above Eifion Wyn primary school in Porthmadog in a bid to "drive the seagulls out of town".

Gwynedd council said nesting gulls had been diving down on to the school yard.

Head teacher Carys Jones said it has been "quite terrifying" for pupils, especially younger children.

The falcon and hawk will also be flown over the nearby Glaslyn Leisure Centre.

Council cabinet member councillor Dafydd Meurig said: "With gulls a protected species, the options available to address the problem are limited.

"However, after considering the situation, we came to the conclusion that the best way forward was to recruit the services of natural specialists to deal with the nuisance gulls."

Ms Jones added: "As well moving the gulls on, we have been able to use the experience so that the pupils are able to learn more and meet the birds of prey that will be keeping the gulls away."

Gwynedd council is not the first to deploy birds of prey to deter seagulls as Swansea council has used specially trained hawks to keep them away from the city's market roof.

And "Angry Birds" balloons were used to scare off seagulls in Rhyl, Denbighshire.