A WOMAN who has been forced to scoop seagull carcasses off the street has criticised Barrow Borough Council for not doing enough to keep the town's street clean.

Janice Richards, of Clarence Road in Barrow, has spoken out in anger after being asked by Barrow Borough Council to pick up a dead seagull and put it in the bin.

Ms Richards was visiting her sister in Parade Street who had complained about problems with baby seagulls falling off the roof and dying.

She said: "I didn't want to pick it up because of germs but I thought if I left it there someone who wasn't looking where they were going would fall over it or tread on it.

"I rang the council but they said they don't do that anymore because it's not their job.

"They told me to pick it up and put it in a wheelie bin so I did but I just thought 'what am I paying my taxes for?'"

Seagulls are a hot topic for debate around Barrow as many residents consider the birds to be pests or vermin.

Ms Richards says the problem is not new but is becoming worse as issues with litter increase.

She said: "Last year there was a big seagull, that was dead, lying in the middle of the road.

"No-one was willing to pick it up so I went to get my sister's shovel and a black bag.

"There were maggots crawling all around the floor.

"It's just dirty and it's all around town."

Ms Richards is blaming the issue of the gulls on increasing amounts of rubbish around the town centre, saying it is a "free supermarket" for the birds.

She is calling on Barrow Borough Council to put steps in place to secure more regular street cleans and to provide more bins.

Alan Barker, street care manager for Barrow Borough Council, said the council does dispose of dead seagulls but members of the public need to play their part in keeping the streets clean.

He said: "People are issued with a wheelie-bin and recycling facilities.

"However, every householder has a responsibility to dispose of their waste properly, and if they don't they could receive a £75 fine."

Councillor Ann Thomson, spokeswoman for planning and the environment, agreed, saying:

"If someone phones up and says there's a really bad spot we will go and clean it up, but if people presented their waste properly we wouldn't have a problem in the first place."

How to help

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CUMBRIA Wildlife Trust is eager to help the situation and is urging people to be careful with their refuse.

David Harpley, conservation manager at Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said: “The main thing that attracts birds into towns is how people deal with their rubbish.

"We all need to be very careful with our rubbish, especially uneaten food.

"Don’t throw it on the ground but place it in containers that birds can’t get into. This is the most effective way of dealing with the issue.”

People are advised to do the following:

  • Recycle food waste properly
  • Only throw out waste that can't be recycled.
  • Don't leave black bin sacks outside bins. Recycle properly to make room or take the rubbish to your nearest waste and recycling centre.