Moray Council is urging the public not to feed gulls in an attempt to rid the birds from the areas they currently menace.
The appeal follows a large number of complaints last summer — particularly about herring gulls — swooping to steal food from people in the street and aggressively defending their unfledged chicks.
The animals have become a nuisance in recent years after abandoning their traditional breeding sites on seaside cliffs to take advantage of easy pickings in towns and villages.
Anne-Marie Glynn has lived in New Elgin’s Springburn Place for 17 years, and said the gulls — who injured her daughter, aged 15, — have never been worse.
The mother-of-three said: “There’s two that nest on the flats on Robertson Drive, which my garden backs onto.
“They are there all the time, and there’s normally more.
“They’re very aggressive. They attacked one of my daughters walking home one night after dark.
“She fell and had bruises and cuts all up her side and scraped her face.
“It makes me angry when I see people feeding them because it does just encourage them.
“The problem is they are not scared of us at all, and they know we are scared of them.”
Ms Glynn’s neighour, Susan Aspland, added: “If I walk to work in the summer, getting there is a mission. As soon as you walk outside they are attacking you.
“They swoop down on you in the street, at the primary school where they nest, down at B&Q and at Asda if you have any shopping.
“It’s a shame for the kids as well because they should be able to play outside with a bag of crisps in their hand without having to worry about seagulls swooping down.”
With the breeding season approaching, Moray Council is urging people to deter gulls by cutting off their food supply.
A council spokesman said: “Care should be taken to dispose of food waste properly and that includes the remnants of takeaway meals, which seem to be a favourite for gulls.
“Our community wardens will investigate where there is evidence that people are deliberately feedings gulls, and we would urge people to report any neighbours they suspect of putting out food for gulls.”
Authorities like Moray Council can take steps to deter gulls from their own buildings, but they are not responsible for other buildings.
Private owners are responsible for their own property and require a licence from the Scottish Government before dealing with the protected birds.