Summer is here and as the temperatures rise people will be swapping the dining table for the great outdoors, because who doesn't like eating al fresco?
But while a picnic in the park or chips on the beach might sound like a great idea, the chance of getting swooped by a seagull is very real.
Now, Deliveroo has teamed up with boffins from Exeter University to come up with a song that distracts the birds, and they're playing it in two places to keep people safe while they eat.
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.
What do you think of the Chipwatch Zones? Let us know in the comments...
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 revealed that 53 per cent of Brits have had their food snatched by seagulls while eating outside, so Deliveroo decided to solve the problem wants and for all.
Their 'Chipwatch' crew are armed with reflective umbrellas, decoy hawks and a new seagull distracting track called ‘Bye Gull Bye’ by Deliveroo.
They worked with a gull expert and sound engineers to create a brand new audio track called ‘Bye Gull Bye’, which will provide the background music to the ‘Chipwatch’ zones to further ensure a seagull-free experience.
The track is also available to stream nationwide now on Youtube here.
It has been curated 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.
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She said: "This is a great initiative to help the public enjoy their Summer holidays without the threat of unwanted birds, all whilst not being harmful to them.
"I partnered with Deliveroo to ensure the track was no harm to the seagulls and to use gull calls to ensure it is effective. Research supports the use of gull alarm calls for deterring gulls.
"This is the sound gulls make when they spot a predator, and it tells other gulls to keep away. We hope this track will allow people to eat their food in peace."
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