Snakes alive!

Residents at the Dawes Court leasehold sheltered housing scheme in Paignton have been plagued with nesting seagulls fouling the area and blocking gutters and downpipes. They have come up with an innovative solution - plastic snakes!

Not just any plastic snakes, these expand when they get wet and change shape to make the seagulls think they are moving. Fortunately the Devon weather gives plenty of opportunity for this to work...

It is early days but the signs seem to be encouraging. The seagulls seem to be fewer in number but the test will be in the spring when they start nesting. Estate manager Cathy Williams is pictured holding one of the snakes. Cathy says: “if it was a real snake, you wouldn’t see me for dust! With a bit of luck the 30 we have fixed to the roof will do the trick and make residents' lives so much better.”