Weymouth's 'flying chip thieves' are being reminded of a scary deterrent.

Harris hawks have been on display at Weymouth Harbour to highlight one of the ways the town is trying to tackle nuisance gulls.

The hawks are part of a renewed drive to combat the seagull problem, collaborating with the new ‘Don’t Feed the Locals’ campaign which launched this week.

The birds of prey have had a presence in Weymouth for the last year, with NBC Environment, a specialist bird control company, having been contracted to use the predators in an attempt to control the town’s seagull population.

The contract has now been renewed for another year, meaning the predators will be seen flying round town for a couple of hours each week.

The hawks do not harm the seagulls and other nuisance birds, instead they are trained to respond to 'lures' that are thrown into the air by their trainers, giving the other birds a scare.

Duncan Barnes, regional surveyor for NBC Environment, said the idea was to tackle one of the key reasons seagulls will take up residence somewhere – a lack of predators in the area.

Mr Barnes said: “They are becoming a major nuisance on the coast at the moment. We are giving them an unlimited food source.”

He said that the seagull problem was not confined to Weymouth – adding that the whole of the south coast has conditions that are perfect for seagulls. 

It is hoped that seeing the hawks once a week will make seagulls more wary of their surroundings.

The hawk is reportedly ideal to be used in an urban environment, as they are very manoeuvrable, with the ability to fly round sharp corners, and highly intelligent.

Mr Barnes thinks the initiative is working.

He said: “I think it has been very successful. It has made a big difference.” 

However, he added it is an effort that needs to be maintained to help keep the gulls under control.

He said: “It is a long term solution, not a quick fix.” 

The ‘Don’t Feed the Locals’ campaign, which runs for a month, hopes to stop the gulls from having easy access to food by persuading the public not to feed them.

Run by Litter Free Coast and Sea, an initiative of Dorset Coast Forum, the campaign has the support of more than 40 local businesses.

Charlie Wild, project officer at Litter Free Coast and Sea, said it is important not to give food to gulls, not just because it encourages them to snatch food from residents and visitors, but also because large numbers of gulls can affect bathing water quality on the coastline, as their droppings contain high levels of bacteria. 

She added: “Come and enjoy the sea, the scenery and the fish and chips, but don’t entice seagulls with your food.”