The number of seagulls nesting on roofs in Sussex has increased because their clifftop habitats are being destroyed, according to new figures.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has been flooded with calls from residents who have been disturbed or dive-bombed by squawking birds.

The society says the problem has got worse in Brighton since the construction of the under-cliff walk to Rottingdean destroyed nesting ledges.

RSPB spokesman Andrew South said nationally there had been a 40 per cent decrease in herring gulls from 1969 to 1994. The birds have now been placed on the amber conservation concern list.

He said: "People might look around in a place like Brighton, where there are gulls all over the place, and not believe there has been a national decline.

"There has been a big increase in the numbers of birds nesting on roofs in towns like Brighton, partly because of the disturbance of clifftops and cliff management.

"The building of the under-cliff walk, which shaved off part of the cliff, means there are not the ledges for them to nest on.

"Roofs provide safety from predators and there are food sources on the ground. We have basically made life easy for them."

Between 1976 and 1994 the number of seagulls nesting on roof-tops increased from 3,000 to nearly 10,000 pairs - an average increase of seven per cent a year.

Mr South said: "Nobody stands on the fence when it comes to seagulls. They think they are either a natural part of the seaside ecology or think they are pests who are noisy and attack them while they are in the garden.

"But we have a responsibility for the situation we have created. All they have done is adapt accordingly.

"They are intelligent creatures who just want to raise their young and can be excitable.

"They can be noisy when they have young who are flying for the first time. It is a bit like parents seeing their child take their first steps."

The Argus reported two months ago how two herring gulls were dubbed The Ryelands Two after being discovered on the roof of homes in Ryelands Drive, Brighton.

Workmen faced delays in carrying out repairs to a chimney stack because of the gulls which were welcomed by the residents.

The RSPB recommends holding an umbrella or stick over the head to prevent dive-bomb attacks.

Seagulls return to the same nesting sites for up to 20 years so residents should deter them with wiring systems if they do not want them to return next year.