THE city council is to spend an extra £10,000 controlling gulls next year.

But one councillor has suggested that rats are a bigger problem in Worcester.

Council workers removed 125 gull nests in 2024 and gull-proofed 16 properties.

Gull control work is focused on “areas of harm” such as the city centre and on supporting residents being affected by particular birds or pairs of birds.

Culling the gulls would be illegal as wild birds are legally protected.

Worcester City Council’s environment committee was told on Tuesday (November 5) there are currently 1,188 breeding pairs of gulls in the city - 58 more pairs than in 2022.

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The biggest populations of gulls are in and around the Blackpole Trading Estate, Shire Business Park and the city centre.

At the meeting, the committee agreed that an extra £10,500 should be allocated to gull control next year for three projects.

The additional money will fund the gull-proofing homes in areas where gulls have been displaced to, nest and egg removal from a vacant BT building in Charles Street and anti-perching measures in High Street.

Cllr Adam Scott said: “I’m sad about this whole thing because gulls are an endangered species. It’s a real dilemma. I hope we’re not chasing them away just because of their existence, and that we’re only reacting to complaints.”

Cllr Richard Udall warned: “I am starting to worry that we are being a little bit disproportionate in our discussions about the nature of the problem of gulls.

“If we are not careful we’ll take our eye off the ball with the huge problems of other pests in the city and I’m thinking particularly of rats, which do cause more problems for a large number of people.

“They are endemic in the city and we have plenty of residential and commercial properties which are providing harbourage for rats.”

He said the “growing rat population” is “more harmful and more dangerous” to people than gulls.

“Let’s not forget the traditional enemy and it’s the rat.”

Mark Cox of Worcestershire Regulatory Services said sewer baiting can take place if people spot rats, while eligible residents can also get free rat treatments.