15 June 2023 , 15:22
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A woman has said that her small dog is often accosted by swooping seagulls as the pet plays in the garden.
Melanie Potter Hughson, from Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland, shared a video of a gull repeatedly accosting her dog, making the animal scared to be outside.
On several occasions, the gull misses the pooch before it swoops back up into the sky in preparation for another attempt.
The small dog stands its ground and scares the seagull away each time the bird tries to go after it.
Melanie said it is not the first time that seagulls have started to dive-bomb passersby in the area, Edinburgh Live reports.
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The dog was scared at seeing the seagull swooping down (Edinburgh Live)
Melanie shared a video of her dog being accosted by a gull (Edinburgh Live)The resident said she once saw a small cat "narrowly escape" the defensive birds and she added she believes that gulls are trying to defend their chicks who are hatching around this time.
She explained: "It happens every year at this time when the chicks hatch and will get steadily worse for the next month or so.
"Anybody who walks past gets dive-bombed by them, especially if they have a dog with them. I witnessed a small cat narrowly escape from it a few days ago!
Melanie's dog was repeatedly accosted by a seagull in the garden (Edinburgh Live)
Melanie caught the incident on camera (Edinburgh Live)"You cannot sit outside on that side of the building just now as they constantly swoop at you."
Last month, we reported the story of a seaside chippy worker who dresses up in an eagle outfit to scare off seagulls and help diners eat their food in peace.
Corey Grieveson, 18, can pocket £200 a day prowling Whitby harbour, which is known for gulls nicking chips from people's trays.
Corey Grieveson in his eagle costume (Alex Boyd / SWNS)
He scares off seagulls so customers can eat their food in peace (Alex Boyd / SWNS)And although he can earn a pretty penny from tips, he said the crafty gulls have taken "revenge" on him by pooing on his spotlessly clean car each day.
The teen started work in the beautiful North Yorkshire town last summer when chip shop owner Alex Boyd, 31, decided he needed to employ a "live seagull deterrent".
He said: "People absolutely love it. They approach me asking for pictures and whatnot. I feel like a bit of a celebrity.
"I just charge at the seagulls when I see them. I also have to look out for them going near people, and when they do, I run at them and get them away.
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"I've had gulls hit me on the side of the face with their wing before, then they’ll get down, take your food. They'll do it so quickly that you just don’t expect it at all.
"It's quite frightening, especially for the older generation, if they’re walking along having some chips.
"And at the moment, they won’t leave my car alone. I clean it every day, and when I come back, it's covered in seagull poop. I think they are trying to get their revenge."