I refer to the letter in The Argus on July 13 from Jaine Wild, West Sussex Wildlife Protection.

Having been in the bird control industry for 30 plus years, now retired, I have to advise this group that there is no 100 per cent real answer to the problem.

People call in a bird control company because they are having problems, whether blocked drains and gullies from nests causing floods or constant noise/possible damage to a flat roof.

There are of course those who just hate the gulls and want them off their roof. What we have to realise is that the individual has paid for the services of a bird controller and the netting/spikes/sound/kites etc become "their property". It is now down to the individual to keep their property in good condition. So asking a bird controller to sign a document to keep "their property" in good condition is a fallacy.

But... the bird controller can ask the business/individual if they would like a "contract" to keep the net (their property) in good condition. This comes at a cost. Are people willing to pay... NO. Then the net gets in bad condition and birds get trapped. Whose fault?

"My man" put up some deterrents last year, but they didn't work. What does "my man" do for a living?... retired teacher, roofer, general maintenance etc. Are they bird control specialists?

One of the challenges today is people do not want to pay.

The most common source of birds getting trapped in netting is because it is in a state of disrepair. There is also the case of the netting not installed properly or the wrong mesh size used.

It is a known fact that the Brighton/Hove area is a hotspot for nesting herring gulls. Nationally their numbers are down, but as you go west from Brighton the problem gets less. Not many herring gulls around the Solent area, or along the coast in Dorset. Then they start again in Devon.

Problems with herring gulls are a national problem. We have to love them and put up with their antics, but if things get out of control then we must act

before a leak caused by a blocked drain, because of a nest, brings a ceiling down and floods the house. Will your insurance cover that ? There are other problems as well.

John Butler

aka John The Birdman

Portslade