A hawk could be introduced to Ashford town centre in an effort to scare off nuisance seagulls and pigeons.

The idea has been floated by the borough council’s deputy leader Cllr Paul Bartlett (Con) who feels the move would improve people’s quality of life.

It comes as a Natural England report shows that gulls – traditionally associated with coastal regions – have become urban creatures, prompting ministers to consider proposals on how to make removing them from towns easier.

The study found an estimated three quarters of the UK’s population of herring gulls now nest in towns and cities.

“I really hope we can do something to resolve the issue for residents,” Cllr Bartlett said.

“It will need to be carefully planned with Natural England as there are very strict rules surrounding moving nesting birds, but it will have a positive effect on people’s quality of life.”

When asked by KentOnline's sister title the Kentish Express this week, some shopkeepers in the town centre said pigeons are more of an issue than gulls.

Russell Geen, who runs The Little Teapot in Park Mall and The Little Teacup in Bank Street, said: “I haven’t really got any issues with seagulls yet, that could be in the nicer weather when they come in and land, but at the moment the main issue here I think is the pigeons.”

Staff at Shoe Zone in the high street agreed, with one worker saying “you can hear the seagulls but you can’t really see them”.

Jenny Rogers at Made in Ashford in Park Mall says notices could be put up asking people not to feed the birds.

“People feed them and that’s what they shouldn’t do,” she said.

“Maybe if the council got bins that are closed, they could put notices on them saying don’t feed the birds.”

Hawks are used at Ashford’s tip on the Cobbs Wood industrial estate and have been called on at County Square and the Designer Outlet in the past.

Michelle Krawczyk, acting chairman of the Central Ashford Community Forum, says she has noticed the seagull population increasing year on year.

“The birds cause an issue to pedestrians in the town centre as they can be quite territorial and aggressive when seeking food, often directly from a person eating said food,” she said.

“Seagulls scavenging for food in waste can cause that waste to be scattered around the streets, impacting the visual amenity in the town centre and causing an environmental impact by increasing the risk of additional pests being drawn to the food.

“The nesting gulls and fledglings also make a significant amount of noise from the early hours (4am or 5am) well into the night (11pm to midnight).”

Jim Davies, a trustee of the Central Ashford Community Forum, says the seagulls affect those living in town centre flats.

“There are many more attic bedrooms and flats in the town centre now, so the effect is more immediate,” he said.

He also commented that architects choose flat roofs for their buildings.

“These are used as roosting places and are equivalent, in gulls’ eyes, to the beach,” he said.

Do you think a hawk is needed in Ashford town centre? Comment below or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk