Meet the Metro's new recruit to tackle nuisance seagulls in South Shields

Transport bosses have unveiled their latest recruits in the battle against nuisance seagulls.
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A falcon and a hawk are being used to keep gulls off the roof of South Shields’s new £21m transport interchange building as a “humane and a permitted method” of dealing with the problem.

Nexus, which runs Metro services at the town centre interchange, has employed the birds of prey through a specialist firm to prevent seagulls from claiming it as their territory and starting to create nests there.

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Nexus’s customer services director, Huw Lewis, said: “With gulls being a protected species the bird of prey was the best option for us to address this problem.

A falcon ready to deter seagulls from nesting on the roof of South Shields's new £21m interchange.A falcon ready to deter seagulls from nesting on the roof of South Shields's new £21m interchange.
A falcon ready to deter seagulls from nesting on the roof of South Shields's new £21m interchange.

“We need to stop the gulls from nesting on the roof of the new interchange building as that can create a lot of damage if it’s allowed to happen and then it isn’t dealt with.

“A specialist firm is coming in a few times a year with the falcon and the hawk to keep the gulls away from the building.

“This is a humane and a permitted method for dealing with this issue.”

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South Shields’ new transport interchange was opened in August of last year, bringing the waiting facilities for local bus and Metro services under one roof at a modern new facility.

The falcon with its handler.The falcon with its handler.
The falcon with its handler.

Its arrival was a major milestone in the ongoing £100m South Shields 365 regeneration masterplan being delivered by South Tyneside Council and partner Muse Developments.

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