RESIDENTS have been urged to take care with litter amid fears of a seagull 'nightmare'.

People in Dalton are growing concerned that litter left on streets is attracting an influx of the birds.

And people have also been urged to only put out their bins on the day of collection to stop the clawed creatures from ravaging bags of rubbish.

Residents are said to be concerned that seagulls are blighting the town, with the area near the railway station named as a hotspot.

Dalton councillor Steve Nott said: "If there's an increase in litter it will attract more vermin.

Cumbria Police recently sent a warning to the public not to mistreat seagulls as issues with the birds rise.

Dawn Mckellar said: "It's people leaving bags of rubbish out. The smaller bins were supposed to encourage people to recycle.

"Let's blame everything on the gulls eh"

GP Rose said: "Humans did take over their natural habitat and build towns, cities and villages on it, it was only a matter of time until they also became their natural habitat."

Ange O'Halloran said: "Went to Roa Island on Wednesday. Not a single seagull to be seen. Came home and there must have been hundreds in the backstreets ripping bin bags open and making a bloody mess!"

Readers on the Mail website said: "They are wild creatures, their natural environment and food supply is being degraded, they are not vermin, they will go for the easy option when it comes to food so people should take a bit more responsibly for their actions and make an effort not to dump crap everywhere, they are the ones to blame."

"It's like talking to a brick wall trying to get through to the members of the parish."

"Come to barrow we've had it for years now there's more in Dalton road than shoppers"

"Unless Dalton has been miraculously been transplanted next to the sea, why would they be seagulls?"