A Scotland-wide summit to tackle 鈥渄eadly鈥 seagulls must be held amid warnings someone could be killed, the Scottish Parliament has heard. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who called a debate on the issue at Holyrood, warned that Scots risk losing their lives over the 鈥済rowing problem鈥 of 鈥渘uisance鈥 gulls. Fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said a nationwide summit must be held to tackle the issue as she warned that Scots are being left 鈥渟cared, attacked and traumatised鈥. Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland but Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of Scotland, said a summit for the whole country is needed. The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP said 鈥渁ggressive鈥 seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, with one girl 鈥渓eft with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face鈥. She called for action on the 鈥済rowing nuisance鈥, which she said posed a health and safety risk to residents. Despite rising complaints from locals, though, she said NatureScot鈥檚 licensing system to control the birds was bureaucratic and failing to solve the issue. 鈥淚 think we need a summit,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we just need a summit in Moray, we need a summit across Scotland.鈥 Ms Hamilton said the debate was 鈥渋mportant鈥 as she criticised what she said was a lack of action from the Scottish Government. She told MSPs: 鈥淎bsolutely nothing is getting done. I don鈥檛 believe the Government are listening to us because the issue continues in my constituency in Eyemouth. 鈥淎ggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour. 鈥淎nd it is not just a seasonal nuisance. It is a serious, growing health risk. It鈥檚 a safety risk, particularly for children and elderly residents.鈥 She said one business owner had described the situation as 鈥減eople being scared, attacked and traumatised鈥. MSPs debated the issue on Thursday, the last day of Parliament before the summer recess. Opening the debate, Mr Ross said people often 鈥渟mirk鈥 when hearing that the Scottish Parliament is debating the problems around gulls 鈥 but he said it was an 鈥渆xtremely serious issue鈥. The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they are worried about leaving their homes for fear of being 鈥渄ivebombed鈥, while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. One resident, he said, is spending 拢2,000 a year to remove nests from her home. 鈥淧eople should not have to keep living in fear of being divebombed by these menaces on a daily basis, and are crying out for action,鈥 he said. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He went on: 鈥淭he behaviour of the SNP鈥檚 quango NatureScot confirms they have lost the plot. They have told people to protect themselves with umbrellas and even suggested dogs as a deterrent. 鈥淭he time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers. 鈥淚f the minister cannot see that is a problem, then he is divorced from reality. 鈥淭he strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull.鈥 Jim Fairlie, the minister for agriculture, said that while people often 鈥渃huckle and laugh鈥 about the issue of gulls, he warned it was 鈥渄eadly serious鈥. But he told MSPs that he could not intervene on NatureScot to change the licensing system because it would leave the Government open to judicial review. He urged people to stop feeding the birds, which he said was the primary reason for the issue. The birds have been an increasingly common site in urban areas as they leave their natural habitat in search of food. He said: 鈥淲e have to work out what it is that is causing the issue in the first place. 鈥淲e are feeding them 鈥 it is quite simple. We are creating habitat, and we are creating feeding stations which are allowing gulls to inhabit our space, and that is now quite clearly coming into conflict.鈥 He added: 鈥淲e have got to try and limit food waste and public littering. We have got to take away these feeding opportunities.鈥 SNP MSP Christine Grahame warned against 鈥渄emonising鈥 gulls, which she described as 鈥渃lever, adaptable鈥 animals. 鈥淟anguage such as 鈥榤ugging鈥, 鈥榤enace鈥 can be applied to us, our fellow counterparts,鈥 she said, 鈥渂ut it is not appropriate to demonise an animal simply looking for food. 鈥淎nthropomorphising is tempting but not helpful.鈥 NatureScot has been approached for comment.