If you do not particularly enjoy the idea of herring gulls nesting on your roof, please employ an expert to come along and wire up the nest site safely as soon as possible.

Herring gulls begin nesting in May and, while there is still time to do this, make sure they won’t choose your roof.

Don’t wait until birds begin to nest as it then becomes against the law to disturb birds’ nests or eggs of a species that worldwide is rapidly declining, as sadly at the present time all our precious wildlife seems to be.

Fines of £5,000 per bird, egg or nest disturbance or six months in prison surely should be a sufficient deterrent.

The herring gull nesting season is a very hard time too at Roger’s Wildlife Rescue as we have to handle 400-500 gulls, most of which are nestlings falling from rooftops.

We will always take in nestlings in need of help but, as the season progresses, young gulls falling from rooftops should always be returned to that roof for the parent birds to continue rearing.

To those of you who are determined to not like these birds, try to realise that in Brighton and Hove we have an important population of a species in worldwide decline and, as such, should be tolerated. A recent correspondent of Letters To The Editor likened the herring gull to being a pain in the neck.

Just to clarify, it is illegal to kill herring gulls but they can be controlled in certain circumstances by obtaining a license from Defra.

Our wildlife is there to be enjoyed by all.

Roger Musselle, Roger’s Wildlife Rescue