Seagull's feet 'severed by fishing line' in York

The seagull, which was found collapsed in the garden of a house in York, would not have survived, the RSPCA said

A seagull had to be put down after it was found with both feet severed by fishing line.

The RSPCA said the bird "must have been in so much pain" and could not survive as it was unable to stand up or fly.

It was found collapsed in the garden of a house on Terry Street in York on 20 November.

RSPCA inspector Claire Little said "a small bit of fishing line" was tangled around its legs and she warned people to safely dispose of angling litter.

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Ms Little said she was called by the homeowner after she became concerned for the seagull's welfare.

"He couldn't get out of the garden so I was able to catch him quite easily, which is never a good sign," she said.

"As soon as I had hold of him it became clear what the problem was: he was missing both feet.

"They'd been severed off and he still had a small bit of fishing line twisted around the stubs, embedded very deeply in the skin."

'It's heartbreaking'

She said the bird had to be "put to sleep" because it would not have survived in the wild.

"It's heartbreaking to see these birds losing their lives because of a little bit of plastic line.

"It just goes to show how hazardous discarded fishing litter can be to our wildlife."

She said she was "frustrated" by people who did not safely dispose of their litter as they "possibly don't realise how dangerous it is to animals".

Ms Little urged anglers to follow the Angling Trust's Take 5 campaign and also highlighted the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme to dispose of tackle and line waste.

The charity said it received about 3,000 calls each year to animals affected by angling litter.

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