'Top level boss' seagull stealing lunches in area of Liverpool

A "top level boss" seagull has been causing havoc in Liverpool city centre.

In recent weeks, the ECHO has reported on the rise and size of what are being dubbed 'XL Gullies'. Burly and brazen gulls have been spotted all over the city centre - and have been swooping in to steal people's lunches.

But one supersized bird in particular seems to be dominating an area of the city. The gargantuan gull is known to operate around the Exchange Flags area behind Liverpool Town Hall.

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And this particularly beefy bird has been blamed for a number of intimidating incidents by city centre workers trying to enjoy a spot of lunch in the area.

Several ECHO journalists have been amongst the victims. Crime reporter Paddy Edrich came forward with his own story.

Paddy said; "I had just purchased a Margherita pizza slice from Greggs on Castle Street and was walking back through Exchange Flags towards the ECHO office. I've seen baked goods swiped out of people's hands on a regular basis walking near the town hall, but you never think it would happen to you.

"My colleague, Dan Haygarth, made the sensible decision to store his pizza inside his pocket, while I foolishly had it in my hand in plain view. Out of nowhere this monster swooped down, beady yellow eyes glaring, and squared up, wings flapping.

A shaken Paddy added: "I had two options - throw the pizza on the floor and surrender it to the hungry beast while continuing the throwaway culture that has led to the city's seagull infestation, or deploy evasive tactics.

"Ducking behind my colleague, I put the pizza in my pocket and headed for shelter. The amusement of the situation wasn't lost on passers by.

"One man told me to chase the beast away. No chance - these animals have moved on from being skilled scavengers, now, they're brutish bullies. I've seen the same seagull targeting multiple people in Exchange Flags, while even today, he was videoed eating a dead pigeon. When will his nightmarish reign of terror end?"

Another ECHO staff member to suffer at the hands of strapping seabird was Executive Editor for SEO and Engagement Lottie Gibbons. She said she was "attacked while carrying a concealed chicken baguette from Greggs." Video supremo Alice Walker said she has had "several pasties swiped."

But its not just intrepid ECHO journalists who have fallen prey to the "top level boss" of Exchange Flags. Commenting on a picture of the beefy beast on X, Gemma Jones said she was attacked by the bird in her first week of work in a nearby office. She added: "He came for my Greggs."

Others commented on the impressive size and brutish demeanour of the seagull in question. Bar owner Dom Hope-Smith described the bird as the "top level boss", while Bettydidt said: "Literally the same size as my dog."

Behind the humorous descriptions and ever-so-slightly colourful reporting, there is a more serious issue at play here.

It is thought that the volume and size of seagulls now regularly seen on the streets of Liverpool points to a wider problem with littering and discarded food.

Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and communities, Laura Robertson-Collins said: "This is a symptom of the habits we have, in as humans, the takeaway culture that means food is always being delivered at the touch of a button and all this litter and mess we see on the streets."

Green Party leader Cllr Tom Crone added: "We are seeing how the populations of animals are changing because of human behaviour. The sheer volume of discarded takeaways we see now are just too good an opportunity for seagulls."

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