TORRIDGE District Council has issued a plea to residents to be mindful when disposing of food waste.

It comes amid an increase in instances of seagulls and crows raiding bags.

A spokesperson said: “Please help to keep Torridge tidy by putting ALL food waste (raw and cooked) into a freely available kerbside caddy. Caddies are collected every week and transported to an anaerobic digestion plant, where the food waste is used to generate electricity and produce fertiliser for farming.

“Large households can have two kerbside caddies. Alternatively, if you can’t recycle your food waste, please do not present your refuse before 7:00 pm the night before a collection. The long summer evenings provide seagulls and crows with an excellent opportunity to rip bags and spread refuse/waste.”