LEFTOVER food from Worcester's cluster of fast food restaurants could be responsible for flocks of seagulls occupying the city.

Maurice Francis, who can no longer bear the high-pitched screech outside his office and returning to a splattered white car, called for action to be taken against the raucous birds.

"There are hordes and hordes of them perched on buildings around the city," the Benefits Agency worker complained.

"They are so noisy outside my window and if you park in town, you constantly have to clean your car. The windows are covered."

Mr Francis, who works in Farrier Street, branded gulls "the new vermin", swooping in to take the place of pigeons.

"I think it could be to do with fast food restaurants in town.

"There is a lot of food and rubbish hanging around which attracts them.

"It is particularly horrendous behind Gala Bingo.They're a menace."

Roy Fidoe, head of environmental health at Worcester City Council, said the mainly coastal birds were roosting further and further inland.

"No one seems to know why," he added.

"Countrywide, they are flocking to historic cities like Bath, Chester and Worcester."

Mr Fidoe said, unlike pigeons, gulls were a protected species that had to be left alone.

"In the Lewes district a woman was swooped on and stabbed in the head by a bird nesting in her chimney," he said.

"But a protected bird or animal has to be a threat before action be taken against it.

Emphasise

"We can only emphasise not to feed the birds."

Worcester's tourists and shoppers have frequently been warned about feeding pigeons, which is illegal and contributes to a "huge problem" in the city.

The birds, which produce many pounds of excrement a year, are now known to cause potentially fatal diseases as well as ruining monuments and buildings.