From St Ives to Tenby, no seaside town is truly safe from the menace of seagulls, who swoop down on unsuspecting tourists, wary locals and abandoned rubbish as they go to any means to secure a tasty snack.
But the fear instilled by the bellicose gulls could soon be at an end - after MailOnline took to beaches up and down the country to put new strategies to the test.
Terrorised locals told how the birds, emboldened by coach loads of tourists feeding them, have taken to dive bombing plates, swooping on unattended food items and even working in gangs to secure a tasty snack.
MailOnline has tested advice from Britain's top seagull experts on how to avoid being targeted by the militant birds on holiday - as residents of beach towns around the country told how they prevent their food from being snatched out of their hands.
Dr Neeltje Boogert, a research fellow in behavioural ecology at the University of Exeter, told how wearing contrasting patterns, staring gulls down and wielding an umbrella can all help holidaymakers avoid seagulls stealing food this summer.
