Hastings man left with bloodied face after seagull attack - 'I could have lost an eye'
A man said he ‘could have lost an eye’ after a seagull swooped down from a roof and attacked him in Hastings.
Phil Marshall, 67, was left with blood running down his face after the attack in Earl Street.
He said the seagull dive-bombed him and scratched his head moments after he left his partner’s home last Wednesday (June 25) .
Phil said: “Had I turned around when the seagull attacked me, I could have lost an eye.
“I was walking to my campervan and the next thing I noticed was a bang on my head
“This seagull had been plaguing me for a week before. It has made previous attempts to get at me. Obviously it was determined to have a pop at me for some reason. It caught me off guard.
“Blood was running down my face. I’ve been left with a scar on my head. I get a headache every so often but it could have been worse. However, it was not a nice experience for me.
“I know that seagulls can be territorial.”
For several years seagulls have nested with young on the roof.
Phil said the bird flew straight at him and perched itself on the roof of his campervan.
Wearing a baseball cap seems to protect him, he said, as the seagull does not recognise him.
He added: “He has a very distinctive squawk and perches on top of the Bentley & Hall building.”
The RSPB said where gulls are nesting on rooftops, dive-bombing can happen when they are protecting their nest sites and chicks.
It added: “Gulls are devoted parents, and this defence mechanism can occur when they feel threatened or in danger. If you are experiencing dive-bombing, we advise to use an umbrella when entering or leaving a property to deter the parents from getting too close.”