7 days ago
Moment dive-bombing seagulls attack beachgoers for their ice cream and fish and chips - as RSPCA urge victims to be kind to the aggressive birds
This is the moment seagulls dive-bombed on beachgoers for their ice cream and fish and chips - the day after the RSPCA launched a campaign urging people to be kind to them.
The animal welfare charity said gulls were one of the most victimised and misunderstood wild bird species and described them as 'lovers not fighters'.
However, visitors eating their lunch in Lyme Regis in Dorset may disagree with that message after coming under airborne attack from the aggressive birds.
One man who was sitting on the sea wall eating an ice cream had the sweet treat ripped clean out of his hands by a hungry gull.
A couple had to fend off 10 birds as they sat down at a table to tuck into their fish and chips.
A group of women sunbathing on the beach resorted to using a flip-flop to shoo away as many as 27 seagulls who were after some discarded food in the sand and a man wafted a child's body board to scare them off.
Lyme Regis is notoriously bad for aggressive seagulls dive-bombing tourists with food.
One local resident said the birds were 'causing carnage'.
John May said: 'There is carnage taking place on most sunny evenings these days.
'Visitors are being attacked and robbed. Children crying; distraught adults consumed with either shock or guilt at not being more vigilant.'
Matt Yaxley, who runs Herbies Fish & Chips in the town, said: 'The seagulls are quite bad here. I have seen customers have their fish knocked out of their box by seagulls swooping down on them.
'It's tough luck really. We can't afford to replace fish for free.
'Any customer we serve we tell them they need to be really careful of the gulls and to keep their food close to them.
'We also tell them where the best places are to go and eat where they won't get bothered.
'The gulls are clever. They come in from behind you to knock the food out of your hand and the next thing 10 of them are there.'
Several years ago, the local town council experimented by hiring two bald eagles in a bid to scare off seagulls that steal chips and ice creams from visitors.
A group of women sunbathing on the beach resorted to using a flip-flop to shoo away as many as 27 seagulls who were after some discarded food in the sand
Some tourism resorts have brought in by-laws making it an offence for people to feed gulls, with warning signs put up to reinforce the message.
So-called gull-proof rubbish bins have also been used to stop them getting at food waste.
But the RSPCA said seagulls were not attacking people, and insisted they were instead after their food.
Geoff Edmond, the RSPCA's wildlife partnership manager, said: 'Many of us love seeing gulls gliding over the sea or town, or waddling around on the beach.
'But sadly not everyone is a fan. The RSPCA has launched its summer 'For Every Kind' campaign with some of our billboards declaring gulls are 'lovers not fighters' in a bid to make people think differently about these amazing birds.
'It's caused quite a reaction. Comments on social media have ranged from 'majestic', 'beautiful', 'survivors' to 'noisy thieves', and 'pure vermin'.
'But gulls are brilliant birds. They form lifelong bonds with their partners, they are attentive parents, they are intelligent, and are great at solving problems.
'Yet they are one of the most persecuted wild birds in this country.
'We receive a report about deliberate or extreme cruelty to a gull every three days and last year alone we had nearly 4,000 reports about gulls in need.'
