Gull-proof bin bags rejected by a council have been found to reduce litter problems by 90 per cent.

Brighton and Hove City Council turned down the idea for strong storage sacks, suggested by a fabric shop owner, but it has emerged Torbay Council in Devon has been using similar bags for three years.

Janine Duffield, a quality services officer at Torbay, said: "They are very cost-effective and it means the rubbish collectors don't spend so long clearing up spilled waste."

Seagulls pecking through black plastic dustbin sacks and scattering rubbish across the roads are a major problem for waste collectors in Brighton and Hove.

David Warburton, 65, owner of Fabric Warehouse in George Street, Brighton, thought the council could foil birds by asking residents to keep bin bags in larger sacks made from a light but strong material called rip stock.

The sacks would provide an alternative rubbish storage solution in areas where wheelie bins were not practical.

He had several bags sewn up to test out the idea and was delighted when gulls failed to breach them.

But officers at Brighton and Hove's Cityclean said untying the sacks and posting them back through people's letterboxes would slow binmen down. They might also be too heavy to lift.

In seaside Torbay, also plagued with gulls, waste collectors throw the bags over the wall back into people's gardens. Some people tie them to gates so the bags inside can be easily lifted out - there is no need to retie the sack afterwards.

Alternatively people leave bricks in the bottom to weigh them down once the rubbish sacks are taken out, so they can be left in the street.

A former Torbay resident, Max Manners, of Marine Drive, Rottingdean, wrote to The Argus about the bags after reading about Mr Warburton's idea.

He said: "The refuse collectors have no problem with them. There are lots of advantages and very few disadvantages."

David Warburton said: "That's brilliant. I knew it could work. I've actually had a couple of people come into the shop to buy rip stock and make the bags up themselves."

A spokeswoman for the council said: "Having investigated the possibility we still prefer wheelie bins as a solution as they help increase recycling levels and cut down injuries to staff, problems which bags can't solve."