A council programme on tackling aggressive seagulls is set to be extended to Kirkcudbright.
Currently anti-gull measures are limited to Dumfries under the gull control project.
But communities committee councillors agreed on Tuesday to include the Stewartry town.
The move follows numerous complaints about gulls dive-bombing residents and wandering into houses in search of food.
Councillor Pauline Drysdale said: “Residents in Castledykes Road, Buchanan Street and Millburn Street are actually terrified to leave their homes due to swooping and attacks.
“Just this morning one house sale has fallen through due to the enormity of the problem.
“Some residents have actually had to donate money to other homes where residents have been unable to find the funding to put spikes on top of their homes.
“Will the gull project in the smaller outlying areas of Kirkcudbright, Annan and Stranraer consist of both proactive and preventative measures going forward?”
Community protection manager Sandra Harkness said the council’s gull control operations would require to be extended beyond Dumfries.
“If we have a street where people are terrified then these would be areas where we would look to take action if we had the appointed officer to do so,” she said.
Councillor Dougie Campbell wanted to know what SNH meant by “last resort” measures. And he pointed out there was already “a high expectation” among Kirkcudbright residents that the council was going to do something about the problem.
“Gulls are attracted to places like Kirkcudbright because there is a ready food supply,” he said.
“There’s a part for our communities to play in limiting that food supply whether it’s around waste or discarded takeaway food.”
