Pub Forced To Get Bird Of Prey After Seagulls Terrorise Beer Garden

It's bad enough going to the pub with that tight mate who always says they're not hungry before eating half your chips.

But these food-nabbing pals of ours have nothing on seagulls, the masters of chip thievery, which have become such a nuisance in one beer garden that the pub has been forced to get a bird of prey to protect its customers.

Patrons of the Imperial Wetherspoon pub in Exeter, Devon, are regularly bothered by flocks of gulls, which dive-bomb customers and steal meals.

However, the seagulls recently took the biscuit, pinching two meals from two separate tables in the space of an hour. Staff had to clear up the mess and offer the customers replacement meals; subsequently, the pub's bosses decided to take action against their feathered foes.

After doing a bit of research, they decided the best course of action was to fight fire with fire by bringing in a bird of prey to scare off the gulls and protect pub-goers.

A spokesman for Wetherspoon said: "We can confirm that a large number of gulls at The Imperial are causing disruption for customers and staff in the pub gardens.

"Unfortunately, due to the size of the gardens, netting would be an impractical solution, because of the wide open space.

PA

"Other options have been researched and a natural bird deterrent option has been agreed.

"Management at the pub have just gained approval for a bird of prey bird deterrent programme, to be carried out in the garden, as soon as possible."

It makes sense really. You have big scary blokes on the door to stop bad 'uns from attacking people, why not have a hawk/kestrel/eagle to prevent bad 'uns from above stealing customers' food? A sort of sky bouncer, if you will.

The extent of the menace posed by seagulls has been brought into focus of late after a chihuahua called Gizmo was allegedly carried off by one of the birds.

The four-year-old pooch was just chilling in Becca Hill's backyard in Devon when she said a seagull swooped down and grabbed the dog and flew off.

Becca Hill

Speaking to Devon Live, the 24-year-old said she and her partner are devastated: "It carried Gizmo a fair way as we couldn't see him anymore. I have no idea if he was dropped or where he is now."

The worst was feared when a bone with some hair on it was discovered on a roof in Totnes, Devon, which is home to a load of seagulls and regularly littered with the carcasses of animals they've killed and eaten. But experts offered Becca some hope after they confirmed the bone belonged to a rabbit, not a dog.

Topics: UK News, Alcohol, Animals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey