Sunderland City Council have brought in a hawk to patrol the city in a bid to deter "aggressive" seagulls from nesting in the city.
Horatio the Harris Hawk is the council's newest employee and will be patrolling areas like Mowbray Park ahead of upcoming events during the summer months.
The council receives dozens of complaints annually about aggressive seagulls causing a nuisance in the city centre.
But yesterday Horatio, from North East Falconry, successfully completed his first patrol in the city- and it's hoped his presence will shoo the pesky seagulls.
Horatio will be taking flight around Mowbray Park, High Street West and Market Square four times a week for the next six months up until September.
This year sees the first Lamplight Festival taking place in the park and the council hopes the event can go ahead without visitors being pestered by the birds.
However, the hawk will not hunt the gulls but will simply scare them away, his handler Glen Purves said.
Glen of North East Falconry said: "The birds we use are not bred to hunt so there is no real danger to the gulls.
"All the actions are a humane deterrent and not intended for the gulls to be attacked or harmed. The hawk simply scares the seagulls and encourages them to choose somewhere else to nest."
Councillor Amy Wilson, Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: "The gulls are a protected species, but they can be a nuisance for a lot of people and visitors.
"When the weather is nice, and people want to visit a city centre attraction such as Mowbray Park, it's a shame it can be ruined by the gulls. I know a lot of residents, traders and visitors who will be pleased to hear these hawks are making a difference.
"The feedback we've had about the hawk patrols in the past has been excellent. It seems that they do panic the gulls, and the hawks themselves have become an added attraction for visitors.
"However, I would like to remind residents and businesses that they can also help deter gulls by not feeding birds and disposing of food waste appropriately."
