If this week's heatwaves are worth anything, it's a sign that summer has well and truly arrived in the United Kingdom. Many will choose to no doubt ditch the evenings in the house, and dine al fresco in the soothing warmth - while others will take to one of the North East's many beaches to pick up some scran by the sea.
And while a picnic in the park or fish and chips by the coast may sound like a fantastic option, the idea of getting swooped by seagulls for your meal is less than ideal. However, fear not of our feathered friends - as Deliveroo has teamed up with Exeter University to come up with a song which distracts birds, and they're playing it in a number of locations to keep people safe from scroungers while they tuck in.
And if it sticks, who's to say it might not get deployed nationwide? According to The Mirror, anyone on the beach in Brighton on Friday, July 22, or Scarborough on July 24, will be able to take refuge in the 'Chipwatch Zones' - which will also have staff with reflective umbrellas and decoy hawks.
Read more: Popular North East beach named second most Instagrammable in the UK
Aisha Jefferson at Deliveroo said: "One of the biggest summer rituals is al fresco dining, especially on the beach, but seagulls can wreak havoc on your peaceful picnic. If you’re worried about food-snatching seagulls, our Chipwatch crew will be on hand to protect you from having to share your food with our flying friends.
"If the beach isn’t your thing but you still find yourself covering your snacks, we’ve curated a music track that will safely distract and deter seagulls from pinching your food. It’s also a bit of a banger, which you can play via the Deliveroo Youtube or Spotify channel. Hopefully it’ll be music to your ears, but not so much the seagulls’."
A new survey has revealed that some 53 per cent of Britons have had negative experiences with seagulls in the past, in the form of them snatching food while at one with the elements. So Deliveroo has decided to solve the problem once and for all.
Their Chipwatch crew are armed to the teeth with reflective umbrellas, decoy hawks and a new seagull distracting track entitled Bye Gull Bye. They worked with gull experts and sound engineers to create the brand-new track, which will provide the background music to Chipwatch zones to ensure a seagull-free experience.
It has been created in collaboration with Dr Madeleine Goumas, a researcher of urban herring gulls from the University of Exeter, who advised on the curation of the track in a safe way for seagulls, whilst protecting diners at the same time. And if you're not in Brighton or Scarborough this weekend, but still want to keep the birds at bay - you can stream the track for free on Youtube here - be warned though, it's a bit of a bop.
Alexa, play Bye Gull Bye again!
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