Seagulls are indeed majestic when they are flying by or over the sea to catch fish, which is their natural food.
However, people like Steve Taylor (Letters, April 23) are turning them into urban scavengers, as shown in your picture of them ripping open rubbish bags.
We should certainly clear up our left-overs but not, as he says, because we don't like seagulls but because we don't want to disrupt their normal feeding habits.
The same applies to pigeons. By a curious coincidence, the environment department of Brighton and Hove City Council has just erected a sign near my house with the following request: "In the interests of public health, please do not feed the pigeons and gulls."
It is an absurdly small notice and the council should tell us more boldly and clearly about the public health aspects which are important but too little known.
-Roy Shaw, Hove
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article