Tourism bosses have hired two bald eagles to defend popular coastal beaches amid fears that seagulls are scaring away too many visitors.

Lyme Regis Town Council yesterday deployed two of the carnivorous birds in order to combat the longstanding problem of angry seagulls attacking tourists and eating their food on the beach.

The eagles - named Winnie and Kojak - have been resting on the arms of two handlers while they patrol the promenade of the Victorian resort to act as a deterrent to any nearby seagulls.

The pilot scheme could be extended into the summer in an effort to keep visitor numbers up, as their presence has so far prevented hundreds of gulls swooping down on tourists enjoying the beach.

It is believed to be the first time a council has used eagles to stop seagulls from disturbing people, although Exmouth, Sidmouth and Seaton have all deployed falcons in the past.

Mark Green, Deputy Clerk of Lyme Regis Town Council, said: “We have had an extensive gull problem for some time now and have tried several means of discouraging them from landing. It's not just them stealing people's food - we've had reports of them attacking families unprovoked which has been very scary for those involved.