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| Seagull menace: Osborne's funding cut for study into birds' aggression criticised | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| George Osborne has been dragged into the “seagull wars” as he was accused of ruthlessly cutting £250,000 of funding earmarked for a study into how to curb the birds’ aggressive behaviour. | George Osborne has been dragged into the “seagull wars” as he was accused of ruthlessly cutting £250,000 of funding earmarked for a study into how to curb the birds’ aggressive behaviour. |
| Residents in Cornwall, south-west England, have complained of seagulls attacking pensioners, children and even pets. There have been two reports of seagulls attacking and killing dogs in England in the past three months. | Residents in Cornwall, south-west England, have complained of seagulls attacking pensioners, children and even pets. There have been two reports of seagulls attacking and killing dogs in England in the past three months. |
| The latest incidents in Cornwall – which appears to be the hotspot for attacks this summer – left a 66-year-old woman needing hospital treatment and a four-year-old boy traumatised after his finger was pecked. | The latest incidents in Cornwall – which appears to be the hotspot for attacks this summer – left a 66-year-old woman needing hospital treatment and a four-year-old boy traumatised after his finger was pecked. |
| Related: 'Killer' seagulls top the pecking order for a media frenzy | Related: 'Killer' seagulls top the pecking order for a media frenzy |
| At the last coalition budget in March, Don Foster, the former Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, was thrilled to secure £250,000 in funding to research ways of preventing or coping with the seabird menace. | At the last coalition budget in March, Don Foster, the former Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, was thrilled to secure £250,000 in funding to research ways of preventing or coping with the seabird menace. |
| However, the chancellor scrapped the seagull research programme in his first Conservative budget last month, deeming it “low priority”. | However, the chancellor scrapped the seagull research programme in his first Conservative budget last month, deeming it “low priority”. |
| Foster said at the time the cut was “daft” and would have serious consequences. | Foster said at the time the cut was “daft” and would have serious consequences. |
| David Cameron has since been forced to admit that there was a problem with seagulls after the spate of attacks in the West Country. | David Cameron has since been forced to admit that there was a problem with seagulls after the spate of attacks in the West Country. |
| “I think a big conversation needs to happen about this and frankly the people we need to listen to are people who really understand this issue in Cornwall, and the potential effects it is having,” the prime minister told Radio Cornwall last week. “Reading in the papers about how aggressive the seagulls are now in St Ives, for instance, we do have a problem.” | |
| Foster, who retired at the last election, is a long-term campaigner on the urban seagull crisis, having held a “seagull summit” in 2012. | Foster, who retired at the last election, is a long-term campaigner on the urban seagull crisis, having held a “seagull summit” in 2012. |
| “My much-joked-about summit actually brought together a lot of MPs, who knew it was a problem,” he said. “The thing is that it was a relatively small amount of money and, when you add it up, a huge amount of money is spent around the country on seagulls.” | “My much-joked-about summit actually brought together a lot of MPs, who knew it was a problem,” he said. “The thing is that it was a relatively small amount of money and, when you add it up, a huge amount of money is spent around the country on seagulls.” |
| The £250,000 would have paid for research to improve the understanding of urban seagulls’ life cycles and behaviour. | The £250,000 would have paid for research to improve the understanding of urban seagulls’ life cycles and behaviour. |
| “It came in at one budget and went out at the next,” added Foster. “People say that this happens without Lib Dems in government, although it is more complicated than that.” | “It came in at one budget and went out at the next,” added Foster. “People say that this happens without Lib Dems in government, although it is more complicated than that.” |
| Foster pointed out that the government’s welfare cuts were a much bigger problem, though the seagull threat remains. “They have a four-and-a-half-foot wingspan and that can be very intimidating,” said Foster. “I don’t have a problem with seagulls in the right place.” | |
| The Conservative MP Steve Double, whose St Austell and Newquay constituents are being regularly attacked, said that “common sense” was needed rather than investment. | The Conservative MP Steve Double, whose St Austell and Newquay constituents are being regularly attacked, said that “common sense” was needed rather than investment. |
| “We don’t need consultants telling us what to do. Down in Cornwall, we know what the problem is,” he said. “The problem does seem to be escalating though. The seagulls are losing their fear and getting more courageous.” | “We don’t need consultants telling us what to do. Down in Cornwall, we know what the problem is,” he said. “The problem does seem to be escalating though. The seagulls are losing their fear and getting more courageous.” |
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