Are seagulls an essential part of seaside life - or just dirty, noisy vermin that are a danger to the human population? Should they be controlled and, if so, how?

What do you think? Get in touch and we'll publish your views.

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Jan from Caernarfon says: "Seagulls are quite definitely a public health hazard. Have you seen the size of Caernarfon seagulls recently? They are huge. And why are they so huge? People insist on feeding them. The council should invest in plenty of signs prohibiting this. These birds are very capable of finding their own food and need no extra help.

Visitors to the town do not realise how dangerous it is to feed them until they swoop down to help themselves to chips and sandwiches. The casualty department at Ysbyty Gwynedd is now well used to dealing with injuries caused by these birds. Some patients, especially those of a bald nature, even need stitches. In Benllech last year, there was even a fatality. Seagulls are very protective of their young and chicks often fall out of the nest. A passing human is instantly seen as the enemy and vengeance is swift. Stop feeding these birds!

Action needs to be taken now on a council level before next summer. Council workers should remove nests before the next mating season and have a cull arranged. The people of Caernarfon would support fully this action as public safety demands it and the problem cannot be ignored."

Robert Hopkins, now living in Wellington, New Zealand responds: "As a Welshman in New Zealand this past 20 years I still hold an interest in my origins and on the region which holds memories of my formative years."

Jan in Caernarfon seems to have an aversion to the humble Seagull. A bird with a history which spans back to the dinosaurs and still remains and an example of a raptor. Have the Caernarfon ones started to mutate toward their past size?? If so, I suggest you feed them regularly and mute their appetite. If not I confess I am guilty of feeding birds of all types , ducks, sparrows, pelicans, seagulls and even very naughty NZ Keas, all were in their own habitat and when they ventured into our made habitat they seemed friendly enough. Hazardous, well I guess having a seagull sucked into your jet engine might cause a ripple of concern, although Ysbyty Gwynedd might see its casualties as bird strike but sitting on the walls of a seaside town difficult to see the immediate danger. Hope Caernarfon survives for my next visit."

Layne Moore from Bangor says: "What is up with some people? There are far more important things in life to worry about than the size of seagulls, who do keep rodent populations from exploding in the towns of this fair country. It is a shame that some people have nothing better to do than verbally attack helpless creatures, and as a bird enthusiast I find it hard to understand how anyone could hate birds anyway. I have worked in the hospital as a nurse for the last 7 years, but I have heard of only one case {of a seagull attack}, but I will not divulge any information on that, as I'm not allowed to. I suggest Jan stops watching Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds' and enjoy life - it's far to short as it is."

Maureen from Kinmel Bay says: "Yes I do think something should be done about seagulls, as every evening when we sit down for our once peaceful meal we have a pair watching our every mouthful from the shed. Our small but pleasant conservatory has now become very stressful as the seagulls are getting closer and closer. It's as though they want to move in. We deter them by our hosepipe, but when neighbours are feeding them we are fighting a losing battle. Can they not find their own food? And no, we are not doing them any favours by feeding them. In fact, if we carry on, in time it will be us that move and them that move in more and more as each year goes."

J Rooney from Belfast says: "Over the past two years I have twice, while walking along the street, been attacked by aggressive seagulls.

The bird-loving Bangor nurse is wrong, seagulls can be dangerous. They have sharp beaks and could easily take a lump out of a child's, or old person's head.

Each year they are more daring and more aggressively persistent with their attacks. You can imagine how frightening this is for children and old people. Something has to be done to control these dangerous pests."

Glynn Webb from Llanllyfni: "Why do so many people believe that they have more right to be here than animals? Especially wild life. If the seagulls nick your chips it's because they're hungry. If the council fed them they would be fine, but it seems that priority must go to unwanted building schemes and creating roads for more polluting cars."

Keith from Connah's Quay: "We can't blame the seagulls for their aggressive behaviour. We are the ones that have fed them chips etc. and as such we cannot blame them when they help themselves. They are after all wild animals who can't be expected to know when it's 'ok' to take food. The only reason we don't like this happening is because of their size. If say, a robin swooped down and stole a crisp we would think it was cute!

So stop blaming the seagulls, it's our fault they are addicted to fatty foods and it's probably too late to change their behaviour. So let's just get on with admiring the ingenuity of these birds in being able to adapt to live with the most dangerous animals of all.....us!"

Barrie Harwood from Llandudno: "It's interesting to read people's comments about the birds and their interaction with humans. As always there are two sides to this argument. If it wasn't for the humans encroaching on the birds natural domain, then the birds wouldn't cause a nuisance and equally the presence of humans and our wasteful ways (in particular with regard to food) encourages the birds to interact with us an not always in the way we want.

From my point of view there is something very reassuring about waking up in the morning and hearing the gulls (and I even have them nesting on my house). To me the sound of the gulls symbolise the 'seaside' and so yes - the gulls (in all their variety) get a resounding 'thumbs up' from me!"

Paul from Rhyl: "The seagulls are just like flying rats, and everyone has rats killed - why not seagulls?"

Jenny from Swansea: "I love the sound of seagulls in the morning, but after living in Brighton and seeing the chaos they cause I think a cull would be a good idea. I don't want to see seagulls extinct, but less of a nuisance would be nice."

Wyn Lloyd-Roberts, Cheltenham : "Seagulls just like any other form of life, are all God's creatures and it is a most wonderful sight seeing them flying around and floating on the water. They are someone's offspring just like you and l - so why all the fuss to get rid of them?

I lived in Beaumaris for many a year and can remember as a child taking bread on the green to feed them.

So my advice to you is let them be - how would you like it if someone said to you 'we must get rid of your child as he or she is a menace'.

Listen to John ac Alun singing Yr Wylan Wen."

Llyr from Bangor: "I work in Bangor and occasionally eat my sandwich on Beach Road, you know, in the car park. The Council have put signs up to stop people feeding the seagulls. Can you please advise me of a suitable location within the immediate principality, where I can feed the little birds the crusts that I don't eat. Thank you in anticipation. I like birds."

Carolyn, Manchester: "In Inverness last year we came to a public car park and saw a suited business man being swooped upon by a seagull. Well, we needed to park so I got out my red fleece and swung it round and round like a helicopter blade - it didn't touch us but swooped short of the fleece. The other chap was mauled a little!!

There was a young bird nearby, but as a nature lover I certainly don't think they should be culled or seen as vermin. Rather it is up to the council to invest in research to disallow the birds from nesting in/by public places, this would not stop the swooping for food but we cant have it all ways. We share the globe with a huge diversity of life and should embrace our good fortune because many species are fast disappearing for lack of habitat due to man's expansion."

Katherine, Chester: "At my school there are so many seagulls that we have to spend our whole breaks and lunches dodging the poo! The poo could go in our eyes or mouths. I have all ready been pooed on twice this year and one of them was a near miss to my head. One of my friends got in it in her eyes and could have been blinded!"

Victor Humphries, Fremantle WA: "Beware, If you hurt or kill a seagull bad luck will follow you for the rest of your days because seagulls are reincarnated sailors who have died at sea, ever since man took to the oceans, I am an 80 year old RN ex-sailor and I know that some of my old shipmates are seagulls, and if you have ever done anything wrong you will get Pooed on - it is the only way they can let you know how they feel about you. They can sense your hostility and you become the target

Remember that a lot of these seagulls when they were sailors fought and died for England so show great respect for seagulls and you shall not be pooed upon,

I shall remember all the comments made in this forum, and when I die I shall fly to Wales and poo on the anti-seagull chip eaters. Beware Cictor Seagull."

Karen, Cardiff: Well I would just like to say that I hate seagull's as they can be frightening. I believe that one day soon they will be attacking us as they have already started on live pigeons. This is scary, don't you think?

As for the people saying it is our fault I would like to say i personally do not feed these birds chips, so I think from now everyone should stop feeding them and let them feed nature's way. You never know, it may be someone's child next yours even. So let's stop blaming the seagulls and do something about it, and stop feeding these birds.

layne Moore, Bangor: I would just like to say a big thank you o all the bird lovers in the UK that took the time to reply. It is our fault in the main but like any animal seagulls are opportunistic and will hunt for a food source that is easy and plentiful and seaside chippy vans and outlets make it a good hunting ground.

So next time u are by the seaside watch out."

Matt Hoyland, Menai Bridge: "Whilst working in Caernarfon i was attacked by seagulls twice in a week. Both incidents occurred on the Maes at the bottom of Pool Street. The first attack robbed me of one of my sandwiches (my fault for having them on view), the second the gull flew into my temple ! This sounds funny, but at the time I was crossing the road. The gulls are not small and one flying into the side of your head hurts a lot."

Chris, Llandudno: "Well I think they should all be shot immediately! Or if not shot, then certainly something should be done to get rid of them. I know all you bird/animal lovers out there will be up in arms and saying seagulls have got just as much right to be here as we have, but they are well beyond a joke now. As well as being a health hazard and a pain in the bum dropping their poos left right and centre wherever they please, they are particularly vicious at this time of year and can be downright dangerous.

It isn't right that people should be scared of leaving their houses and walking down their streets or even sitting in their own garden because there happen to be baby seagulls about and their parents are ready to pounce and swoop and injure just because you happen to be in the vicinity of their chick. Even if the birds don't actually touch you, it's pretty scary having them swoop at you with those massive wings and beaks - trust me, these Llandudno gulls are monsters and there are thousands of them!

Fair enough if I was scaling a wall obviously intent on harming the chicks nesting on the roof then I would expect and deserve to be attacked by the parents, but just walking along minding my own business - come on! Sorry bird lovers but they need to go - now!"

E Hughes, Caernarfon: "I am amazed that no one has mentioned the MESS that these horrible nosiy birds make on all of our cars in Caernarfon! I, like others have to park at the Dock or in Church Street every day to get to work, and at 5pm get back to my car to see that it is plastered in bird mess. This is really annoying, and wastes my time having to clean my car every weekend!! Something needs to be done, they are nosiy, make a mess and always attack the bins when they get left out on Thursdays."

Kim Forge, Herne Bay, Kent: "I live by the sea and love the sound of the seagulls. They live on my roof most of the year but this year the two chicks who have just taken flight are pulling my new expensive conservatory roof to bits. I am under constant attack from the parents, even one came at me this morning while I was at the kitchen window. I can't get to my shed without waving a floor mop. They are lifting my pond net to get my fish.

I don't want them killed, I love all animals but how do we co-habit when the chicks are about?"

Janet Szavo, Prestatyn: "At present our house is under siege as one of the three chicks on the house opposite is on the ground. We cannot step outside and I cannot let my dogs out without being attacked by the mother. We have had spikes put on our roof to stop birds from nesting. Unfortunately our neighbour hasn't so we all have to live with the problem!

I do not want to kill them either but nor do I want to be attacked in my own garden. Perhaps all it takes is responsible house owners who ensure they cannot nest in the first place."