‘Bizarre’ seagull rescue

A SEAGULL had to take a zip wire ride to safety after becoming hooked to a telegraph line.

One of the bird’s feet had been pierced by a fishing lure, which then snagged on to the wire as it was in flight.

It left the injured bird in a precarious position suspended 30 feet off the ground above a car park in Ashbrooke Crescent, Sunderland.

The RSPCA was contacted by a member of the public and an inspector enlisted the help of firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service to free the trapped gull on Saturday.

They used a throw line to pull the bird across to the nearest telegraph pole, where an officer was waiting on a ladder to bring him down to safety.

Fortunately, the bird escaped with only a small wound to a foot and is recovering from his ordeal at a charity.

Inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws of the RSPCA said: “It was one of the most bizarre rescues I’ve seen.

“When I first saw him he was flapping around and obviously in pain. But fire officers from Sunderland Red Watch came out and they managed to pull the bird across to a pole using a throw line.

“The vet wasn’t too concerned about the gull’s foot. There was nothing broken and he had movement in both legs. He will be released back into the wild.”