Urban gulls are an issue for many towns and cities throughout the South West. However gulls are a protected species, therefore they and their nests are protected by law. Use this page to report a problem caused by urban gulls.
Gulls cause issues to residents in Bath and the surrounding towns. Our actions to combat this must balance with the fact that gulls, and their nests, are protected.
Lethal actions (including nest and egg removal) would normally constitute offences under law unless we receive consent from Natural England.
Natural England state that the following issues are not justifiable reasons for taking action:
- gulls swooping on pets
- gulls swooping on people (but not making any contact)
- causing nuisance
What we can do
Natural England only issue licenses to allow interference with nests and eggs in very specific situations. The person applying for the license must be able to demonstrate that action is necessary to preserve public health or public safety.
In order to provide evidence that shows there is a need to take action to preserve public health or safety, we need you to report significant incidents, so that we can use this information to support the use of a licence from Natural England.
Report a problem caused by urban gulls
You can report a problem caused by gulls by completing our online form.