Easter egg hunt families 'repeatedly swooped at by gulls'
Getty ImagesPeople have been asked to report gull attacks in Inverness after 16 incidents during an Easter egg hunt in the city at the weekend.
Inverness Business Improvement District (Bid) said the birds were seen repeatedly swooping at - and in some cases striking - members of the public, including children.
The organisation's Great Easter Egg Hunt was held on Friday and Saturday in the city centre, and attracted dozens of families.
Inverness Bid has asked people to report further incidents as part of work to identify problem "hotspots".
Bid ambassador Janice Worthing said her team witnessed 16 gull-related incidents at the weekend.
"This included frequent and coordinated behaviour from adult gulls, watching for opportunities, calling others in, and repeatedly swooping at and, in some cases, striking members of the public, including young children," she said.
Highland Council said data collected on incidents would help it to determine whether there were "patterns or hotspots" across parts of the city.
It said it would also improve understanding of aggressive behaviour and if it was linked to protecting chicks, or scavenging for food.
A spokesperson said "meaningful and reliable data" would support targeted measures to reduce "negative interactions between gulls and people".
Concerns about the behaviour of some urban gulls - a protected species - in Inverness and also the seaside town of Nairn have been raised in the past.
