A desperate council aims to cut numbers of marauding seagulls which have 'attacked dogs' and 'a child in a pushchair' by putting the birds on the pill.

Officials in Worcester are considering doping food with birth-control drugs as part of a "safe sex" drive for the randy gulls which have invaded the land-locked city.

Council chiefs have tried for years to reduce the gull population, including hiring hawks to scare them away.

If the birth-control plan is approved, the council hopes it will lead to fewer attacks on people, particularly in the Blackpole area of the city.

Cllr Jill Desayrah, a Labour city councillor for Warndon and Elbury Park, described the contraceptive option as "safe sex for seagulls".

She said: "I am concerned that the increasing numbers of gulls are getting out of hand. Many people contact me about the issues caused by having such a high concentration of gulls around Blackpole."

Cllr Desayrah added she wanted to "humanely reduce the number of gulls" by exploring methods used in other countries.

The pill is already used to control pigeons in Barcelona and Venice.

Cllr Desayrah added: "They laced food that would be attractive to the gulls with contraceptives. I passed the idea onto Worcestershire Regulatory Services and they are following up on it, seeking permission from the relevant authority.

"I hope that one or a combination of these solutions will reduce the problem, because I do feel it's necessary to do something as soon as possible."

The city's annual Gull Population Survey revealed that 376 pairs live in local retail parks and industrial estates. This accounts for more than 50% of the city's entire gull population and an increase of three % in the past year.

The majority are lesser black backed gulls, which, along with all the other types, is a protected species. They are attracted to the area by the many flat-roofed buildings and the waste from the food outlets.

Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) receive complaints from residents about noise, faeces and aggressive behaviour during the nesting season.

But earlier this year an order banning people from feeding seagulls in the city centre was scrapped.

Cllr Alan Amos blasted the decision to axe the feeding ban, saying it would lead to an explosion in the numbers of the "vicious flying rats".

He said: "As a councillor and former mayor of Worcester, where the vicious and brassy flying rats have waged war on residents in recent years, I have witnessed first-hand the problems the UK-wide epidemic is causing.

"One shop owner told me he'd seen a gull ferociously attack a young child in a pushchair, while a constituent emailed to say her dog had been attacked."

A Worcester City Council spokesperson said: "An Annual Gull Report will be presented to the City Council's Environment Committee on November 5.

"This will provide councillors with an opportunity to consider a gull management programme for 2025."