ACTION to curb the growing herring gull population on the North Yorkshire coast has been hailed a success as a result of experts removing hundreds of nests and eggs.

Holidaymakers and residents had called for action from Scarborough Council after scores of complaints of "gull-mugging" which has seen people walking the streets – several of them ice-cream clutching children – being attacked by the birds

Now, the council's scrutiny board is to be told at its meeting next week that some 500 nests and 852 eggs were disposed of in the worst affected areas at Scarborough and Whitby.

Council director Lisa Dixon, said there had still been some 74 attack incidents by the gulls. Fifty victims described food being stolen from them by the gulls and 24 others said they had been directly attacked.

The council engaged environmental specialists, NBC Consultants at a cost of £31,500 and their action plan also included disrupting and dispersing the gull population on the seafront and harbour area at Whitby and on Scarborough's South Bay.

The action plan is to be repeated next year, she added. Prominent and eye catching seagull signage signs had been put up in the resorts to discourage holidaymakers and residents from feeding the gulls and dropping food litter.

Mrs Dixon said the gull campaign had also involved the police, RSPB, Natural England, local businesses and the public.

The council has had many complaints in recent years of seagulls fouling footpaths, making them hazardous especially in wet weather, and of them causing damage to old town houses by pecking out mortar between bricks, and fouling washing hung out to dry.