Seagulls found with horrific injuries from attacks

A herring gull thought to have been deliberately run over died after having its wing ripped off while another was kicked in the head, and another was shot at.

The gulls were brought to Derek Davey's rescue in the Weymouth area.

Gulls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is illegal - except under licence - to intentionally take, injure or kill wild birds or interfere with their nest or eggs.

Mr Davey, 65, who has been rescuing gulls for more than 25 years, recently saw four gulls come into his care in the space of just one week.

One of the gulls was found on Weymouth Beach and unfortunately, due to the injury sustained, it had to be put to sleep.

A woman who was on the beach when the gull was being rescued said: “I was at the beach on Sunday and a herring gull with a broken, twisted wing was in a sorry state.

“My brother was pecked catching it, he put it in a box and took it to a local rescuer called Derek.

“Sadly, the gull had to be put to sleep but this was a kindness as on the beach it was being bothered by curious children and dogs.

“It couldn't walk for tripping over its bleeding wing and tried to swim but was toppling in the water."

It is understood that the gull had been hit by a car.

The woman added: "It seems that drivers are targeting them as they swoop low across the roads as it's nesting season, causing things like broken wings which cause a slow, sad death."

Out of the four gulls that were recently taken into Mr Davey's care, only one has made it, this gull in particular suffered a kick to the head.

One of the previous gulls in Derek's care which was shot at - it has since made a full recovery (Image: Derek Davey)

Mr Davey said: “When he came in from Dorchester, he was really falling over a lot."

There is hope that this gull will make a full recovery and if all goes to plan, Mr Davey has his sights set on releasing the bird in ‘a couple of weeks.’

He added: “Herring gulls are massively in decline at quite a severe level."

The wildlife rescuer advises that anyone who comes across an injured gull should – if possible – pick it up, put it in a box and take it to a vet or local wildlife person.

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The vets may then contact someone like Mr Davey to assist the bird further.

He explained that the average life expectancy for a gull is 12 years, but most are lucky if they make it to two.

Meanwhile, it is currently nesting season and during this time, gulls have been known to launch attacks on people, says the British Pest Control Association (BPCA).

Natalie Bungay, Technical Manager at BPCA, said: “We love British birds. All wild birds and their eggs are rightfully protected by law in the UK, so it is absolutely vital that holidaymakers, householders or business owners don’t interfere with them.

“However, gulls can pose a serious safety concern. They have been known to attack people unexpectedly, which can be a frightening experience, especially if they draw blood, which can occasionally happen.

“We often think of gulls as a coastal problem – which they can be in seaside towns where people have fed them regularly. But for some time now they have also been an increasing problem in towns and cities away from the coast too.”