ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Two street cleaners who were dive-bombed by vicious seagulls used their brooms and litter-pickers to protect a woman from a similar attack.

Mark Vernon and Steve Scott Quaint were cleaning the streets of Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, when the nesting seagulls attacked them.

"Steve was checking the bins while I searched the car park for litter," said Vernon. "Suddenly I felt claws on my head. It was like a stealth attack from behind - I didn't see or hear it coming.

"The gull didn't draw blood but I've been told others have not been so lucky. A builder nearby told me I was the third person they'd attacked that morning."

According to experts, the attacks are occurring because two young birds have left their nest and passers-by are being viewed as a potential threat by the protective parents.

The two street cleaners fought off the birds, then came to the rescue of a salon therapist who was sheltering in her car from the seagulls. Grabbing yard brushes and litter-pickers from their van, they formed a protective guard and escorted the woman to her salon.

Vernon said that he and Scott Quaint had been happy to help since they consider litter-picking to be only one element of their duties.

"We feel part of the community and we want to help people in any way we can," he said. "We enjoy our work and we were more than happy to escort this young lady to her place of work."

The attacks in the North Wales town are becoming so frequent that people are now carrying umbrellas for protection.