Shot gull lands in garden

FAMILIES were horrified when a seagull wounded by an airgun shot landed among them as they sat in a Peacehaven pub beer garden.

Onlookers where stunned when the injured bird crashed to the ground at the Dew Drop pub, Steyning Avenue, on Wednesday evening last week.

Another was found injured by landlady Linda Dudeny on Saturday morning.

She said: 'When they shot the first one it fell among children in the beer garden.' She was concerned that a shot could have gone astray and injured a customer. 'Just imagine if a pellet had ricocheted and hit someone,' she added.

Fortunately no-one was injured. Both of the birds were taken away for treatment. One was later put down.

Trevor Weeks of East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service rescued another shot bird on Tuesday.

He said seagulls were rarely killed outright and often bled to death or starved because they were unable to feed because of their injuries.

He added: 'Every single year seagulls are shot police have said they will go to a location but the problem is getting the information to find out who is doing it.

'We are considering putting some resources into patrols in Peacehaven to see if we can narrow down the areas where the gulls are being shot from.'