A WOMAN says her disabled daughter was left in tears after a large seagull swooped to steal her cookie, cutting her finger in the process.

Kaz Cook, from Mochdre, said her disabled daughter, Kimberley, was attacked by one outside the New Look store at the White Rose Centre, causing her to cry and her finger to be cut.

She said: “Seagulls need to be sorted out - one attacked my disabled daughter, cutting her finger and making her cry.

“Walking along path outside New Look, Kimberley, who is 20 and has Down Syndrome, was just about to take a cookie out of her bag.

“A seagull took it and cut her finger. She was very upset and started crying.

“I took her in to the centre to calm her down and get some tissues to stop the bleeding. It scared her - it was a big seagull.

“Something needs to be done about the seagulls; it's a joke.

“You can’t walk anywhere without them attacking you; it could have been a young child been more worse.”

Last week, a spokesperson for Denbighshire Council said that the authority is considering ways to tackle this issue, but said options are limited as the seagulls are a “protected species”.

The spokesperson for DCC said: “Seagulls are a common cause of complaint for the council and are seen by some as a nuisance in our coastal communities.

“There have been reports of seagulls causing some injuries to individuals as they try and find food.

"Whilst the number of incidents is low, they can be very distressing. We would encourage residents to take care and be aware of seagulls while eating outside.

“We are looking at a number of ways to tackle the issue including encouraging residents not to feed seagulls, as well as working with food providers to reduce food waste and ensure any food waste bins are covered adequately."

"There are limited options to the council as they are a protected species and we need the public’s support.

"I would ask residents to take note of the message and not to feed seagulls.”

The RSPCA also rescued two chicks which had fallen into a drainpipe on Bath Street following the attack on Sue Holdsworth last week.

The RSPCA shared the following advice about seagulls:

• Gulls that swoop suddenly on people or pets are usually trying to protect chicks that have fallen out of or left the nest.

• They'll stop when the person or animal has moved away from their young.

• This behaviour usually only lasts for a few weeks until the chicks have fledged and are able to protect themselves.

• The best thing to do is keep your distance from any gull nests, or chicks that you see on the ground - if you can't avoid walking close to them, then holding an open umbrella above your head will help deter the parents from swooping.