ACTION is being taken to curb the growing seagull population on the North Yorkshire coast following a series of complaints from residents and visitors.

Scarborough Borough Council is set to spend £35,000 on a programme of removing eggs and nests, working with a specialist company, NBC Environment.

The move comes following a catalogue of complaints from people who have been attacked by seagulls in the street and over concerns about the amount of mess made by the birds fouling footpaths and buildings.

A council spokesman said the plan was also to use birds of prey, such as hawks and falcons, to disrupt and disperse the gulls from buildings.