Red kite awareness campaign after reports of stolen food

An Oxfordshire assembly is informing the nationalist not to provender reddish kites aft the birds were reported stealing food.

Wallingford Town Council is informing radical not to provender the birds successful a caller poster campaign.

It said they person been seen astatine the town's Bull Croft Park swooping for scraps and terrorising picnic goers.

Councillor Steve Holder, seat of parks and gardens for the council, said the birds "act arsenic a information to radical and children".

Red kites were re-introduced to the country successful the 1980s and 1990s by the Chiltern Conservation Board and person been increasing successful numbers ever since.

Mr Holder said his section are getting progressively predominant reports of attacks connected radical successful unfastened spaces.

He said: "People volition beryllium walking done the parkland with their sandwiches and reddish kites are swopping down connected them due to the fact that they're going for the food.

"There person been a mates of radical that person had their heads and hands scratched".

Red kites are scavengers and similar to devour dormant animals similar roadworthy kill, nevertheless Mr Holder said they are present circling schoolhouse luncheon times and different spots apt to person nutrient outdoors.

He said: "Please halt feeding them. They're an astonishing carnal to ticker successful the entity truthful it's conscionable making definite they don't go similar the seagull."

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