School shut due to seagulls

This Is Brighton and Hove ^ | 06/11/2003 | Karen Hoy

[dighton]

Hundreds of children were given the day off school after seagulls began dive-bombing teachers in the playground.

Staff making their way to and from the building had to take cover under umbrellas.

The gulls went into attack mode after hatching chicks in their nests on the school roof.

Headteacher Sharie Coombes decided they posed such a danger to the 260 pupils at St Mark’s CE School in Manor Road, Manor Farm, Brighton, she gave children the next day off.

Pupils were sent home on Monday with a letter asking their parents or carers to keep them away from school yesterday while the birds’ nests were moved.

Teachers still went to school, braving the onslaught under their makeshift shields.

The letter said it was hoped the relocating exercise would be completed immediately so the children, aged between three and 12, could return today.

Anne Willson, of Manor Hill, Manor Farm, Brighton, has two children at the school. She said: “Apparently the seagulls have got a bit vicious. I heard that one of the birds began attacking the caretaker and the teachers were worried they would go for the kids.”

Lesley King, from Whitehawk, whose son Jamie goes to the school, said: “It’s a bit of a feeble excuse to keep the kids off school. They could have kept the kids inside surely.”

Brighton and Hove City Council, which has a charter giving animals protection in addition to existing laws, applied to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for a licence to humanely remove the gulls to a new nesting site.

A contractor was called in yesterday and under the guidance of the RSPB, work was begun to remove the gulls and their nests.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We are removing them human-ely on health and safety grounds. The gulls were posing a possible threat to the children and as a result a decision was taken to close the school as a precaution.”

Once the birds were removed the council was planning to put up netting and other deterrents to prevent the birds from nesting on the site again.

Roger Musselle, of Roger’s Wildlife Rescue in Woodingdean, took in the three chicks and will release them in the rock pools in Peacehaven when they are grown.

He said: “The adults may tend to be a bit aggressive for a while, but when they realise their chicks have gone they will calm down.

“They may dive but I would be surprised if they actually hit anyone but it probably would be frightening for children.”

[dighton]

Seagulls put the bite on lunchers

Resort visitors dodge gulls' whelk bombs

Seagulls win round one in robot bird stand-off

[CholeraJoe]

We should bring out the Admin Moderator's penguin slapper.

[ErnBatavia]

I learned very quickly not to look up when we spent a week at a beachside condo at Daytona Beach....those guys just glide between the buildings and download constantly - and with great volume.

I used to think our roadrunners out here dropped a big wet load, but they're nothing compared to a Florida gull.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

You must have read my mind.

"The Birds" and Bodega Bay

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Hahahahahaha - I love it!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I read the article more closely and realize that I've driven past this school, when we were visiting Brighton about 3 years ago.

[Zavien Doombringer]

I don't think "dive bombing" meant "dive Dumping"...But thinking about it, with that amount of seagull in the area, that could be a hazzard too!

I live on the east coast, and here in VA, you can't kill a gull, it's illegal. I can't tell you how many times I took my family on a picnic only to have the gulls find you, I swear, they are the ants of the sky!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Salt water pigeons.

[templar]

Brighton and Hove City Council, which has a charter giving animals protection in addition to existing laws, applied to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for a licence to humanely remove the gulls to a new nesting site.

I think my solution to this problem would involve a shotgun.

[ChefKeith]

The only problem is that being in England they would have to get gun owning criminals to shoot them, cause if anybody else did it then the would be the newest criminal on the list.

[Graewoulf]

If you see a gull
On your way to school,
The gull will see you,
So duck! You fool!

[dighton]

"Put me amongst the gulls . . ."

[BlueLancer]

The Gull from Ipanema

[BlueLancer]

To all the Gulls I've loved before ...

[CholeraJoe]

The lake where I live is loaded with pelicans in the summer. Now THAT bird can drop a load. I've seen cows that crapped less.

[dighton]

The Gull from Ipanema

Helo says you're a naughty buoy.

[My back yard]

Hello there, how are you?

An interesting story told in our local newspaper was about a group of protestors to the war on a corner of downtown, across from the veteran's memorial and right on the bayfront. A local veteran walked up with his order of fries and calmly started dropping them one at a time at the feet of the protestors. Everyone assumed it as some meaning of French disappointment. But a few minutes later the 'sky rats' swooped and pooped all over the protestors. They went home. :) Smart vets, I tell ye!!

Sky Rats

for one brief instant i took pause
in awes of flying artistry
but only one quick movement, cause
the thing let fly on top of me

[jhw61]

Years ago, my boyfriend and I were on Block Island, R.I.....when we had apparently walked past their nestings...next thing you know we are being dived upon by seagulls. I put my purse on my head because I was scared to death I'd get pecked. We ran to his motorcycle and zoomed off.

I loved the vet dropping freedom fries story.

[null and void]

We should bring out the Admin Moderator's penguin slapper.

[Nita Nupress]

Lesley King, from Whitehawk, whose son Jamie goes to the school, said: “It’s a bit of a feeble excuse to keep the kids off school. They could have kept the kids inside surely.”

Easy for YOU to say. You're probably too young to even KNOW about "The Birds."

Between that movie and the "Psycho" shower scene, I was traumatized for life. To this day, I never take a shower when I'm alone in the house. Even when there is breaking news!