An Angus councillor has described a Dragons Den-like idea to curb the county’s seagull problem as ”gull pie in the sky.”
David Fairweather’s comments look set to spark another war of words with long-time Arbroath Community Council adversary Ian Watson, with the pair previously clashing on town issues.
Mr Watson an Arbroath community councillor believes the colour red is a deterrent to the gulls and recently demonstrated his ”seagull whisperer” idea to The Courier at Victoria Park.
He placed a bright red glass panel on a parapet and put bread down on it as the seagulls flocked above him. The birds would not come down to feed off the red glass but did fly down to pick up bread thrown nearby.
However, Mr Fairweather said Mr Watson’s idea had provoked debate after it was featured in Saturday’s Courier but added that it was ”unfortunately of the humorous type”.
He said: ”I was stopped by a taxi driver who asked me if Mr Watson was aware that the cliffs in Arbroath are indeed red? This was followed by a message stating that the abbey is red and there still was hundreds of seagulls and could the council issue them with a red card?
”On speaking to a local postman who wears his red jacket uniform, he informed me it had not stopped the seagulls attacking him. Two constituents in Jamieson Street told me the seagulls did not seem to discriminate against red cars in that area.
”The other constituent in Gowan Street claimed that he had a red patio pathway and that this did not stop seagulls landing and chapping his conservatory window looking to be fed. Today I was down at the harbour and our famous black shed with its red roof had five seagulls sitting on it.
”Maybe it was the wrong shade of red?”
Mr Watson’s idea has gained the support of Councillor Donald Morrison following the demonstration at Victoria Park. Arbroath Community Council has also written to Angus Council’s neighbourhood services director Ron Ashton to request a site meeting.
Mr Watson said he came up with the idea when he was throwing out a leftover piece of his daughter’s 21st birthday cake with red icing.
Mr Fairweather added: ”It is admirable of Mr Watson to bring forward his idea but I would stop short of endorsing that we paint the town red. Red Lichties we may be but that is going too far until this claim can be substantiated as I remain sceptical that seagulls albeit very clever birds can differentiate between colours.
”I must remain careful of what I say as the last time I made comment on an article by Mr Watson, he reported me to the standards commission which resulted in council taxpayers paying hundreds of pounds for the resultant investigation of which I was eventually cleared. However, I remain dubious and believe this is ‘gull pie in the sky’ until proven different.”
RSPB Scotland said they were not aware of any scientific reason for the apparent success of Mr Watson’s novel idea.
Mr Fairweather said funding for getting rid of gull nests was reinstated by the Angus Alliance in 2009 and had seen a year-on-year reduction of the menace caused by the birds. He said he has been having fruitful discussions with Councillor Mark Salmond and chief executive Richard Stiff on how to combat the gull problem by looking at ideas other councils have implemented.
Mr Fairweather added: ”Although a cull can take place, at present this is not an option that the current administration would consider.”