Introducing falconers or removing eggs from nests are two suggestions put forward by Falmouth councillors who are keen to take action to control the number of aggressive seagulls following numerous complaints this summer.

The council's environmental sub-committee is to look at the problem in detail after the issue was raised by Councillor Candy Atherton last week. "I have been approached by members of the community who have expressed concerns that this year the gulls were particularly noisy and aggressive," she said.

"One person contacted me and was in extreme distress. They (the family) were threatening to leave Falmouth to get away from the gulls. I do feel it needs to have some form of public airing. They are protected, but we can take some action and remove eggs during nesting."

Councillor Brod Ross suggested using a falconer to scare the gulls away - a practice that has proved effective in towns in south Devon, but Councillor Rowenna Brock did not want to see "a willy nilly cull" with only aggressive birds targeted.

"We have had a pair living on our roof for 20 years and they don't touch us," she said. "We need in some way monitor some of the aggressive birds."