Man punched seagull to death in front of child after bird stole pastry
Police are appealing for information after a man was accused of punching a seagull to death in front of shocked families in a busy Cornish seaside town.
The incident is said to have happened in St Ives, Cornwall, on Wednesday (10 June), after the bird reportedly swooped down and stole food from the holidaymaker.
Witnesses claimed the man was walking with his wife and child at the time, before allegedly grabbing the gull and attacking it in the street.
The bird was said to have taken a Cornish pasty, though one local takeaway owner later claimed the food snatched was actually a fish burger — almost a similar situation to the man who decapitated a seagull when one tried to steal a chip from his daughter.
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According to people who say they saw the incident unfold, the man allegedly held the bird so it could not escape before repeatedly punching it.
Rosie Reynolds, who was working at a boat tour stall nearby, said she watched the attack happen in front of her.
Reported by the Daily Mail, she said: '”He was walking with his wife and child, and the gull just swooped down and stole his pasty.”
“He just grabbed it and had its head in his hand and punched it hard in the chest. It was sort of held in his arm so it couldn't escape.”
“After three or four punches, the bird went limp, then he threw it to the ground where it just lay there; it was still alive, but its chest cavity was caved in, and I think it just went off to die.”
“I went over and berated him, as did some other people. I said ‘you can't do that, it's illegal,’ and his wife said the same. I think she was shocked. I asked if he'd do the same to a child who stole an ice cream, but he just called me a cow and told me to f**k off.”
“I'm just so shocked. Tourists sometimes kick out at the seagulls, but this is the worst I've ever seen.”
“I recognised his picture straight away on Facebook, I know several people have reported him to police and I hope they can deal with him properly.”
Another witness, Pauly Ford, later posted about the incident on social media platform, Facebook, saying it happened by the harbour.
He wrote: “Just witnessed a 'man' grab a seagull that had knocked the pasty out of his hand and punched the bird twice really, really hard. This was at the harbour.”
“The bird wasn't able to fly away, and a lady at the sea island boat trips picked it up to look after. Sadly, the bird had a big hole in its chest, so will likely not survive.
“Not sure what to do about this. We have a picture of the guy after killing a seagull because he's an idiot. Is there anything we can do? Surely the police will want to know.”
One post claimed: 'This man grabbed a seagull out the air and punched it to death then booted it.”
“Happened in a busy street by the harbour in front of about 30 people, including children.”
“My two-year-old is scarred. Absolutely disgusting to see.”
Herring gulls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and those found guilty of offences can face an unlimited fine or up to six months in prison. Devon and Cornwall Police have now urged anyone with information or footage to come forward.
A spokesperson said: 'We are appealing for witnesses and footage following a report of a seagull being attacked in St Ives.”
“Devon & Cornwall Police received a third-hand report about the incident which is said to have taken place on the seafront on the afternoon of Wednesday 10 June.”
“Social media posts stated that a man punched and beat a seagull.”
“Despite posts being widely shared online, the matter was not reported to us by anyone present at the scene.”
Ben Williams