Residents living close to a tip are being plague with seagulls constantly dropping animal bones from the sky in scenes similar to Alfred Hitchcock’s cult horror film The Birds.
Fed-up homeowners claim they are unable to sit in their gardens for fear of being splattered with bird poo and can no longer hang washing out to dry because of the gulls circling above.
And one business has lost thousands of pounds after bird poo left some stock unsellable.
The landfill – run by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK – in Altham, Lancashire, is used by numerous borough councils to dispose of household waste.
Gary Hough, who has launched campaign group Tipped Over The Edge, said during the summer around 5,000 gulls fly overhead.
The 62-year-old said: ‘It’s just becoming worse all the time.
‘I have lived here for nine years and it’s never been this bad.
‘We can’t sit outside, our cars and outdoor furniture are constantly covered in gull waste and I’ve found lamb and chicken bones have landed on my car and in my garden.
Residents living close to a tip are being plague with seagulls constantly dropping animal bones from the sky
Fed-up homeowners claim they are unable to sit in their gardens for fear of being splattered with bird poo
The landfill – run by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK – in Altham, Lancashire, is used by numerous borough councils to dispose of household waste
Mr Hough added: ‘The number of gulls has increased significantly recently, despite this being a growing problem for months now’
‘We are having this continuous problem every minute of each day, not to mention our neighbours.
‘The number of gulls has increased significantly recently, despite this being a growing problem for months now.
‘It has become really frustrating that we can no longer sit in our garden due to bird mess, seagull noise or hang our washing out.
‘We are constantly having to clean our cars and home because of the excrement and other mess they are making.’
The scenes have been compared to Alfred Hitchcock’s cult horror film The Birds
Gary Hough (pictured), who has launched campaign group Tipped Over The Edge, said during the summer around 5,000 gulls fly overhead
Mr Hough said: ‘It’s just becoming worse all the time. ‘I have lived here for nine years and it’s never been this bad. Pictured: A campaign poster against the landfill site
The manager of Greengate Builders Merchants said thousands of pound worth of stock has been ruined because of the bird poo. Rob Ross (pictured), 40, said: ‘The seagull waste is damaging stock. It is also a health risk and very unhygienic for staff handling the stock
He added: ‘Gulls are a protected species and we obviously don’t want them culled because they are just feeding off waste.
‘What we want is the dumping of household waste suspended until it is transferred to Farington waste tip (Leyland) which is much better equipped to cope with the amount of household rubbish.’
Julie Birtwell, 63, said: ‘I can’t sit in my garden or have a BBQ because of the seagulls flying overhead.
‘My washing is constantly covered in muck too.
‘Last week, my Cocker Spaniel was ill and I think that he had eaten something that a seagull had dropped in the garden.
One business has lost thousands of pounds after bird poo left some stock unsellable. The landfill – run by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK – in Altham, Lancashire, is used by numerous borough councils to dispose of household waste
Seagulls are plaguing residents and businesses at the Whinney Hill Landfill site, operated by Suez, in Accrington, Lancashire
Brian Atkinson 9pictured), 73, who has lived on the estate for 30 years, said: ‘There are more seagulls now but that’s because the tip has spread and moved closer to us
Julie Birtwell, 63 (pictured), said: ‘I can’t sit in my garden or have a BBQ because of the seagulls flying overhead
‘It has definitely become worse and the tip is slowing moving closer to our houses.
‘There are more gulls since covid because once they find a food source they will remain.
‘There are also more lorries are coming into the tip, which is also making it worse.
Brian Atkinson, 73, who has lived on the estate for 30 years, said: ‘There are more seagulls now but that’s because the tip has spread and moved closer to us.
‘The seagull poo is a problem and I have to wash it off my car all the time because it can be quite corrosive and damage the paintwork.
‘But you just have to get on with it. There is also an argument that if you buy a house close to a landfill, you should expect it.’
Rhian McGhee, a resident who lives close to the tip, said: ‘The smell of the tip is disgusting.
‘People who live near it can’t open their windows or hang out washing, because there are hundreds of seagulls flying around.
Rhian McGhee, a resident who lives close to the tip, said: ‘The smell of the tip is disgusting. People who live near it can’t open their windows or hang out washing, because there are hundreds of seagulls flying around’
Mr Hough added: ‘We are constantly having to clean our cars and home because of the excrement and other mess they are making’
‘Our gardens, driveways and cars are covered in bird poo. It smells like a big rotten rubbish bin and people can’t even sit outside when it’s warm.
‘People have complained but nothing is being done.
‘We are a tiny town that is being bombarded with rubbish, seagulls, flies and rats everywhere.
‘The tip is owned by SUEZ, but surely the council can do something.’
The manager of Greengate Builders Merchants said thousands of pound worth of stock has been ruined because of the bird poo.
Rob Ross, 40, said: ‘The seagull waste is damaging stock. It is also a health risk and very unhygienic for staff handling the stock.
‘It is a constant problem. We do our best to remove it but this is not always possible and it looks a mess.
‘We sell a lot of decorative stock and customers want it looking brand-new, not covered in seagull waste.
‘Some stock we haven’t been able to sell and it has cost the business a lot of money.’
Richard Phillips, landfill operations manager at Suez Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd, told the BBC: ‘It is simply unfair and untrue to state that the site is creating hazardous conditions.
‘We are a responsible operator, and we strive to be a good neighbour.
‘We keep our operations under constant review, and we will continue to take advice from experts, such as Natural England, to minimise any potential impact on our neighbours.’
The Environment Agency said it was ‘taking action to ensure the operator, Suez, addresses issues at Whinney Hill landfill site and recognise the distress the odour and gulls are causing to members of the community’.
