Dorset seagull places youngster in HOSPITAL

A young Swedish tourist has been hospitalised after being attacked by a greedy seagull who tried to swipe her croissant in seaside resort Lyme Regis, Dorset.

The Swedish girl, whose age is unknown, was eating a croissant when the gull swooped down and pinched it from out of her hand.

In doing so it cut her hand with its beak.

She was taken to hospital for a tetanus shot following the ambush.

It was the latest in a series of gull attacks at the seaside resort in the past few weeks.

One bystander said she saw a gull ‘stalk’ a woman as she left a bakery and pinch her cake.

Deb Morrison said: ‘A seagull literally stalked a lady coming out of the bakery and stole her cake.’

Matthew Lawrence said: ‘In Lyme Regis the seagull is king. They stole two ice creams from us yesterday.’

Gareth Evans added: ‘Bought sausage and chips in Lyme Regis today, immediately got robbed of the sausage by a seagull.’

Lyme Regis Town Council have tried using gull-proof bins, flying drones and even employing bird handlers with hawks and eagles to scare off the gulls after complaints they were terrorising visitors.

The coastal town has an anti-social behaviour Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which makes it a civil offence to intentionally feed the gulls and anyone seen doing so can be issued a £100 fine.

Despite being a menace, seagulls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it illegal to kill or injure them.

In 2022 police launched an investigation after one harassed tourist attacked a gull with a cricket bat in Lyme Regis.

Lyme Regis Town Council clerk John Wright said: ‘The town council is very aware of the seagull issue in Lyme Regis and has tried many ways over the years to deter them and make people aware of the dangers.

‘This has included bringing in birds of prey, flying a drone, issuing advice leaflets to residents, installing signs on the seafront warning people of seagull thieves, and introducing bins on the seafront which make it harder for gulls to pull waste from them.

‘The council also has two enforcement officers who are authorised to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £100 to anyone who intentionally feeds seagulls.

‘However, due to the number of food outlets in Lyme Regis and the resulting waste, this makes the town an attractive place for seagulls to find food.

‘The seagulls may be more aggressive at the moment because it is breeding season and adult gulls are protecting their chicks.’

Seagulls have plagued several seaside towns along the Dorset coast this summer.

In Bournemouth, a bird dubbed Greg the gull perches on a red telephone box outside the eatery Greggs and swoops down to steal steak bakes.

One brave woman in Weymouth was photographed fighting back after eight greedy gulls mobbed her and went for her sandwich.

Against the odds, she managed to fend them off without losing her lunch.

Like all wild birds, gulls, their chicks and their nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

This means it’s illegal to intentionally kill, take or injure gulls, take or destroy their eggs, or damage or destroy any gull nests while they’re in use or being built – unless you’re acting under licence.

The RSPCA suggests that ‘snatching food’ is also a behaviour that seagulls have learnt, and it’s reinforced every time they’re fed by the public.

It suggests that people should try to avoid feeding any gulls, keep food to themselves and, where possible, try to use re-sealable food containers or something that will close.

Gulls that swoop suddenly on people or pets are usually trying to protect their nearby chicks which may have fallen out of a nest.

The birds will generally stop when the person or animal has moved away from their young.

This behaviour usually only lasts for a few weeks until the chicks have fledged and are able to protect themselves.