RESEARCH conducted by a leading bird charity has suggested that turbines on offshore wind farms, including Walney, do not pose a threat to gulls.

A study carried out by The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) analysed how lesser black-backed gulls travelled in and around Walney’s offshore wind farm as well as other areas with potentially positive results.

The results indicate that such gulls avoid the blades of hundreds of turbines and regularly visit the area to feed.

Dr Niall Burton, principal ecologist and head of wetland & marine research, said: “Within our initial paper released in the autumn the results appeared to show that birds still go into the windfarm and still visit the area just as much as before construction.

“It also showed that once in they would avoid the turbines.

“However, we are still looking to quantify more results regarding the level of avoidance with the turbines which is due to be completed by March 2020.”