Seagulls shot with air rifles.

[Paul]

Yet again the media have got it wrong. Not all gulls are protected.

Under Natural England's General Licenses (wml-gl04 and gl05), both these are pests and can be destroyed "To preserve public health or public safety and / or prevent serious damage or disease"

Gull, Lesser Black-backed Larus fuscus
Gull, Herring Larus argentatus

These license conditions include the requirement that the user must be satisfied that legal (including non-lethal) methods of resolving the problem are ineffective or impracticable.
So just shooting them because they P. you off is a no no.