THE battle to beat squawking gulls in Devizes is being won but the councillor who started a petition to demand action to drive them away says the war against them must continue.

Wiltshire councillor Laura Mayes is pleased that the number of nuisance gulls, that back in 2014 were driving people living in the White Horse Way area to distraction, is being reduced but says work must not stop.

Devizes Town Council was told on Tuesday that a mixture of hawk flying and the taking of eggs from nests has meant that during 2016 there were no complaints to Wiltshire Council's public protection team from people living in the area.

Both the town council and Roundway Parish Council are committed to supporting the anti gull project in 2017 but a new strategy will have to be drawn up for 2018.

Mrs Mayes, who represents Roundway on Wiltshire Council, said: "I have always said this project will take a lot of time. It now seems we are going in the right direction but it important that we keep going with it."

Back in 2014 the mess and noise from the gulls got so bad that people living close to both Hopton Industrial Estate and the Garden Trading Estate said it was impossible for them to use their gardens or to keep their windows open during the summer. Some said they were thinking of moving house to escape the problem.

Mrs Mayes presented a petition with more than 300 names to Devizes Area Board in September 2014 and the following year a specialist company was brought in to tackle the issues.

Three hawks and a falcon were brought in to to scare off the gulls as part of a three year contract which also saw eggs real eggs being replaced with fakes.

A survey by Wiltshire Council in 2016 found the number of eggs and nests were reduced. The report said: "The project has seen around 491 eggs removed. this is a 19 per cent decrease and could indicate a reduction in gull activity in this area.

"Based on the gulls relaying eggs after they were initially removed it could be assumed that sees a reduction of 266 gulls hatching in the Devizes area. This should also reduce the noise from the adults protecting their young and also the aggressive behaviour seen when the gulls start to fledge."

Devizes Town Council, which is to merge with Roundway in April, will meet at the end of the year to develop the strategy for 2018.