An action plan to reduce gull numbers in Devizes and the surrounding areas was announced at Devizes Area Board on Monday night.

The board agreed to contribute £3,200 towards the £10,000-a-year project, which will use a bird of prey to scare the gulls along with replacing eggs with fake ones.

The bird of prey, which is being supplied by Harris Hawks and Falcons, would fly three hours daily for 10 days and then 26 more flights through the year to maintain a presence in the area.

On four occasions there will also be an egg and nest removal program for roof areas during April, May and June, with access arranged by Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire councillor Laura Mayes, who got more than 300 signatures on a petition remove against gulls, has said that if nothing was done then numbers would spiral.

She said: “These birds, which we now know are herring gulls, can breed for up to 25 years so we need to try to sustain if not reduce numbers.”

To have any effect the dedicated team set up to tackle the problem have said that the project will need to continue for at least three years.

Roundway Parish Council has committed to paying around £5,000 for the next three years as it is one of the worst effected due to nesting on the flat roofs in the Garden Trading Estate.

The group may also look for contributions from Devizes Town Council and the Wiltshire Council Public Health Team.