WORCESTER'S gull problem has become out of control despite cafes and restaurants closing during lockdown and current methods have been an abject failure, a councillor has claimed.

Councillor Alan Amos, who controversially called for a cull to remove gulls from Worcester last year, has called the current situation "out of control" and has again blamed the "abject failure" of the council to not properly address the problem.

The outspoken councillor has again said the only way to deal with the problem of the "vicious flying rats" would be through a cull.

Worcester City Council rejected Cllr Amos's call for a cull last year after it was told it would be illegal.

“The situation is now out of control," he said.

"A report has confirmed that between April and June there were nearly 2,200 gulls across the whole city, increasing by some 100 every year; that the annual count had 'significantly under predicted the level of breeding'; that 'non-lethal methods of control proved to be ineffective'; and that Worcester counts as a 'large colony in national terms.'

"This proves what I have been saying for years, that current policy has been an abject failure and that without a cull of these vicious flying rats, the situation will get ever worse, as shown in North Norfolk where a recent cull by the council there solved the problem.

"The fact that they are increasing even though cafes and restaurants have been closed, proves that they are not here for the food but have become well established colonies and are breeding so fast – with a lifespan of 35 years - that is absurd to claim they are endangered.

"Rather than solving the problem, council policy has simply pushed them from one part of the city to another so that there are now colonies in 11 of the 15 wards across the city.

Cllr Amos said the council should now be using lasers to scare off gulls, more netting and gull-proof bins that are "actually gull-proof".

He also said any new developments should be forced to use roofs that gulls cannot nest on.