The new Bath branch of a national taxpayers' pressure group has called for the city's nuisance gulls to be culled.

The option of shooting or poisoning the city's noisy gull population has been repeatedly rejected by council officials in Bath.

But historian Tim Newark, who recently helped set up the Bath branch of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said he was shocked by the scale of problems caused by the pesky birds.

Mr Newark's call comes as a family in Keynsham complain that cats in the town are being attacked by gulls.

He has recently moved to Bath but knows the city well, as his parents have lived locally for 30 years.

"It has definitely got much worse," he said. "Thirty years ago there was barely a gull in the sky, now we are woken up by them every single day.

"Several weeks ago, I saw one outside my door ripping a black bag to pieces right in front of me.

"It is a major problem which really has got much worse. They are clearly breeding more."

Local authorities have no statutory duty to do anything about urban gulls, but Bath and North East Somerset Council spends £10,000 a year on egg oiling and egg replacement programmes.

Mr Newark said: "We need to go beyond the council's softly, softly approach and start a cull.

"I think we have to do that, as clearly what the council is spending taxpayers' money on isn't working if the population is still going up."

A few weeks ago Mr Newark, who lives in Barton Buildings, called in a workman to remove a dead bird which had blocked his gutter and caused rainwater to flood his kitchen and stain his ceiling.

He added: "They are causing damage to our buildings. Something needs to be done, and I don't think we are getting value for money from the council.

"I have even seen them take sandwiches from people's hands."

He added: "My five-year-old son is also menaced by them as they are half his size."

The current estimate is that there are around 1,000 breeding pairs in Bath.

In Cheltenham, the local council is considering shooting the birds, but B&NES, the RSPB and nationally-renowned urban gull expert Peter Rock are united in the belief that the draconian measure would not work. They argue that the dead gulls would simply be replaced by more birds, with the breed the ultimate survivor.

However, some researchers have argued that culling can work if used hand in hand with other control methods, with a report to the Scottish Executive four years ago suggesting that a mass cull on an island in the Firth of Forth in 1972 had been partially successful in reducing gull numbers.

Meanwhile, a woman in Keynsham whose cats were attacked by the birds has also called for a change of tack.

But Marcia Hunter, of Compton Green, said she did not think they should be killed.

The owner of five cats said: "I see the gulls out of the window tormenting the cats, and a few of them have had injuries.

"One had an injury on her face and another had a gash on his tail.

"I went outside once to find one of my cats shaking behind a bush. I don't know if they (the gulls) are protecting their young or searching for food, but something needs to be done."

She added: "I know the council do try and get rid of them, but they are wildlife so it is a hard job.

"They are just a nuisance. But what can be done, I don't know."

The authority believes that a new food waste collection service, which will be started in October, will go some way to resolving the issue.

Signs have also recently been made for key gull and pigeon hotspots, such as St James's Parade, advising people not to feed birds.