A FEARSOME feathered foe which could clear Arbroath’s airspace of marauding gulls may prove too expensive to get off the ground.

Councillors who attended the “seagull summit” in Dumfries heard just one eagle can claim 750 square metres of airspace, sending any gulls in the area scarpering.

But at a cost of around £30,000 for two or three seasons’ work, the soaring sentinel is likely to be too costly for Angus Council’s coffers.

Councillor David Fairweather, who attended the summit with head of environmental and consumer protection David Webster and environmental officer Danny Johnston, was impressed with the eagle’s credentials but said finding the money could be a problem.

“You can use hawks and falcons but they are not as effective as the eagle,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I think the cost is going to be prohibitive but we were all very impressed with the information given at the summit and we have identified a number of initiatives which we hope will address the problem caused by urban gulls in Arbroath and the other Angus towns.”

One of the more interesting options is a so-called “robo-falcon” which is operated by remote control, but using what is also described as an “ornithopter” in an urban environment carries its own problems.

“Unfortunately, due to health and safety issues, the robo-falcon would need to be somehow fitted with parachutes in case it fell out of the sky and injured someone or caused damage,” said Mr Fairweather.

As a result of a report into the menace of urban gulls, Angus Council is to restart a programme of free nest and egg removal. The licensed removal contractors will also be able to remove chicks under their “early intervention” policy.

Mr Fairweather added, “It was pointed out at the summit that seagulls actually migrate and that it is only approximately 3% of the current seagull population that are urban gulls.

“I found that percentage quite surprising and I was also interested to learn that these birds do migrate so moving them from one area is only likely to cause problems for a neighbouring one.

“We were also told the seagull population is on the decline and that is one of the main reasons why they are a protected species.”

Other ways Angus Council intend to tackle the issue include looking at the feeding problem at local landfill sites and maintaining a strong anti-litter campaign.”