HUNGRY seagulls left litter including personal protective equipment strewn across Hereford's High Town, a concerned local has said.

Keen photographer Abhinav Varun Revis shot this scene of used latex gloves and other litter scattered on the pavement in front of Hereford's O2 store yesterday, although it is not known where the bags came from.

"This is what the seagulls have done," Abhinav said.

"They are so hungry that they are looking for food, and I can see some gloves here, and I don't know if they [the gloves] are contaminated or not, but this is not good."

The birds have long posed a problem to Hereford's restaurants and businesses, taking advantage of leftover food on vacated tables and in bins.

Hereford Times:

Pictured: A gull feasts on leftovers at Hereford's Frankie and Benny's in July last year.

But with fewer people on the streets, and food businesses closed except for takeaways, their food sources are becoming more limited.

Since 2008, county council contractors say they have removed around 2,275 nests and 4,229 eggs, and Hereford's gull population had been reduced from 500 to around 150 breeding pairs in 2017.

But despite measures taken to reduce the growth of the population of the birds, which are protected by law, they remain a constant presence in the city.

Herefordshire Council recommends people keep their rubbish in bins until the day of collection where possible, and ensure bins have secure lids, while commercial properties should keep the streets at the front and the back of the premises free of litter and black rubbish bags.