Like in a Hitchcock horror film: the British are scared by the invasion of seagulls that filled the landfill (5 photos)

The operator of one of the British landfills is trying to scare away birds by imitating the sounds of gunshots, journalists reported. Local authorities have received 140 complaints about the situation, which has not been resolved for six months.





Residents of a county in the west of Great Britain are concerned that they are losing money due to flocks of seagulls attracted to a local landfill. In their opinion, the value of real estate is decreasing due to the droppings and noise. About what measures the owners of the landfill are taking and whether it helps.

There is a large landfill in the county of Hyndburn in Lancashire in the west of Great Britain. A flock of seagulls flies to the landfill every day: according to local residents, there are about 3,000 of them. During the day, they circle over the city, leaving droppings on roads, cars, houses, and parks, and this worries people, the journalists wrote. Citizens do not like the situation, which they compared to Alfred Hitchcock's horror film "The Birds" (a film about suddenly mad birds that began to kill people).



The footage published by the publication shows large flocks of seagulls that tirelessly fly in the sky or sit side by side on fences or roofs. This spectacle, which lasts from morning until night, worries local residents. In their opinion, this reduces the value of the property and they lose money.

The portal wrote that the operator of the landfill is the company Suez. It responded to people's complaints and assured that it is taking some measures to scare away the birds. Among them are loud sounds similar to gunfire. However, photos from Lancashire show that these measures are not effective.





Journalists talked to local residents to find out how they react to the situation. Gary Hough, 62, said the birds had been "invading" his yard from 8am until 9pm. He estimated there were 3,000 of them flying overhead, landing and taking off, and he had "never seen anything like it".

"The birds are just freaking out, dumping their crap all over the place," said Gary.

Hough's girlfriend Cheryl Gouldstone, 59, explained that the birds had previously been attracted to the landfill site, but that the situation had become more severe in October 2023 and particularly in April 2024. She believes the gulls could spread "bird plague" and is worried the family's £200,000 property will lose value.

"It's like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. There's visual pollution, noise pollution, and people can't believe it's happening," Cheryl said.



Additionally, other locals complain of droppings covering cars and parks, and of traffic jams caused by the swarms. A community representative has contacted authorities about the situation, and was told they have received 140 complaints. Meanwhile, operator Suez has assured that it is "actively working to contain" and "minimise their impact on the area," the article said.