A campaigner has sparked a debate by calling for measures to protect bin bags from seagull attacks.

Charlotte Cornell says residents in narrow streets in Herne Bay and Whitstable still have to use bags because lorries cannot get access to the homes.

The Labour party activist says that gulls attack the bags and it ruins the ambience of the seaside towns and will become an increasing problem during the birds’ breeding season.

She said: “The bags aren’t gull-proof. It means gulls attack the bags and spread the rubbish all over the pavements, especially during the breeding season, which is coming up.

“The council should use seagull-proof bags like other councils do in Edinburgh, Brighton and Thanet.”

Meanwhile, Heron Ward councillor Ron Flaherty (Lib Dem) says he will be looking to submit a proposal of his own to the next meeting of members in Herne Bay.

He said: “I’ve mentioned that streets piling up their sacks outside should put something at the end of the street – a container where waste could be safely secured. But nobody at the council so far has agreed to move on it.

Previously the city council commissioned a report into what could be done to curb the greedy seagulls from threatening people in the town.

The council’s Larissa Reed presented ideas, including removing birds eggs from nests and replacing them with plastic ones, more posters and signs warning people not to feed the gulls and introducing fines for feeding them.

But council spokesman Robert Davies said that there were no plans to introduce gull-proof bags.

He said: “It’s not something we get many complaints about. We would always remind people to only put bags out on the day of collection, rather than leave them out days in advance.

“This will cut down on the potential for seagulls to get to the bags.”