A falcon and a hawk have been brought in by Nexus to scare away seagulls from the Metro station in South Shields.
The operator has brought in the birds of prey to keep the birds away from claiming the £21 million transport interchange as their territory and making nests.
Nexus customer services director at Huw Lewis, said it was the best solution to the problem, with a specialist firm coming a few times a year with the birds.
He said: “We need to stop the gulls from nesting on the roof of the new interchange building as that can create a lot of damage if it’s allowed to happen and then it isn’t dealt with.
“A specialist firm is coming in a few times a year with the falcon and the hawk to keep the gulls away from the building. This is a humane and a permitted method for dealing with this issue.”
Falcons are widely used as a bird deterrent as it deals with the issue in a humane way.
South Shields’ new Transport Interchange was opened in August last year, combining waiting facilities for bus and Metro services.
The opening was a milestone in the £100m South Shields 365 regeneration masterplan, which is being delivered by South Tyneside Council and partner Muse Developments.
