Letter: Why shoot Whitby's seagulls?

It is disgusting that someone could behave in this way.

These birds are native to our shores and in my early childhood, revered by the fisherfolk of my village, Staithes, for their cleansing abilities on the seashore, clearing up all the rubbish which accumulated on our village shoreline, whether it be natural or discarded by villagers and fishermen alike.

To see a flock of gulls following a coble as it gutted its catch on the way home was a sight to behold but with that kind of fishing long gone and with nothing for these birds to eat. They are hungry and scavenge along the coastline.

But why oh why snipe at them? It’s illegal surely and there are other ways of scaring them off if need be.

This culprit needs to be brought to justice, and punished.

Winifred Craig

Cliff Road

Staithes

Saltburn-by-Sea