Litter warning after hundreds of animals injured in Devon and Cornwall

RSPCA officers helped a gull who got caught in a fishing line in Saltash

Hundreds of animals were injured because of litter between 2020 and 2023, new figures from the RSPCA show.

The charity said there were 594 call outs in Devon and 300 in Cornwall for animals "affected by litter".

Devon's figure is the second highest in England and Wales, while Cornwall's is 10th highest, according to the charity.

It has led to the RSPCA to urge people to support an anti-littering campaign being run by Keep Britain Tidy.

The charity said it was urging people to "create a better world for every animal" by getting involved with the Great British Spring Clean running from 15 to 31 March.

RSPCA officers have urged people to discard of their rubbish, including fishing equipment, properly

Examples of litter-related incidents the RSPCA was called out to in Devon include a swan having a fishing hook in its bill last year near the Totnes Weir Hydro power plant on the River Dart.

Another incident involved a great black backed gull nearly requiring a leg amputation after it got caught on a fishing line in Saltash.

These incidents led to calls from the charity to make sure people do not discard litter along river banks.

"Most anglers are very responsible when disposing of their litter, but it only takes one piece of snagged line to be left in a tree or dropped near the water to endanger the life of an animal," the RSPCA said.

RSPCA officers had to rescue a swan in Totnes after it got a fishing hook stuck in its bill

Greater London had the most incidents reported over the four year period with 1,439.

After Devon, Kent had the third most reported incidents with 526 while Greater Manchester and West Midlands were fourth and fifth respectively with 500 and 437.

RSPCA anti-litter campaigns manager Carrie Stones said thousands of the incidents would be "avoidable" if litter had been disposed of and urged the public to contact the charity if they witness an incident.