These recent attacks on the seagulls living in the area of Brighton and Hove are totally unfair on the birds, which are only trying to survive.

As a child, I used to spend my school holiday fishing off the Banjo groin.

From May to August mackerel would swim in their thousands up to the beach and you could catch them with buckets.

We used to call this bouncing off the beach but the last time I saw this was in 1976.

I also remember the fishing boats unloading herring fished up on their annual migration around the coast of the UK. Not any more - there are no fish left.

Councillor Bodfish should think before making crass statements about rats with wings and ask why the birds have moved inland, then look in the mirror and see the answer: Homo sapiens - the animal which takes everything.

-John Allam, Brighton