Pensioner battles gull in nightmare on Elm Street

Victim fought back by swinging his backpack at the bird

A plucky, backpack-wielding pensioner fought off a dive-bombing seagull that had stalked him for “several minutes” during a nightmare on Elm Street.

David Mackie, 66, from Dundee said he was horrified as the gull launched a vicious, unprovoked assault on him.

The pensioner, who was returning from a walk, said he was stalked by the aggressive avian before it struck in the city’s Elm Street.

“I first noticed it just circling above me, quite low,” said the Logie resident.

“Then it came and landed on a chimney in front of me. I didn’t understand it really, I didn’t have any food and I can’t have been near a nest it wanted to protect.”

But just seconds later the seagull had launched a vicious attack on Mr Mackie.

“It just came at me, straight at my face.

“They are really big birds, especially close up. I managed to break free, but it came at me again.”

This time, however, Mr Mackie fought back.

“I had a backpack with me from my walk and I took that off. When it came at me the second time I swung the backpack around my head two or three times,” he said.

“I don’t think I hit it, but I certainly scared it a little – it became more wary.”

The gull struck several more times before Mr Mackie fled under a tree for protection.

“I had to wait for quite a bit of time, but eventually it left,” he said.

Mr Mackie said he was grateful to have survived the attack on Wednesday, but added that he wanted to warn others who might be less confident on their feet.

“I was lucky, but if you were a bit older and maybe not so balanced, you could easily fall over and be seriously hurt.

“I really think they are getting more aggressive – I’ve never experienced something like that before.”

Picture: Ron Cathro. David Mackie warned others to be wary of gulls after he was attacked by a dive-bombing bird.

Some gulls can be aggressive.