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Seagulls are known for being a major nuisance, and you need to keep your head on a swivel if you’re trying to enjoy some food in their vicinity. It might be tempting to try to get revenge if one of those birds manages to make a meal out of something you were eating, but one man in England went a bit too far by punching one that snagged his sandwich.
I spent a solid chunk of my summers as a child hanging out on beaches in New England, and during that time, I managed to develop what I would personally consider a perfectly rational hatred for seagulls.
Most people who’ve spent enough time in the areas where those seabirds have a tendency to stalk know they’re basically flying rats who have virtually no respect for the concept of personal space and will not think twice about swooping down to steal food as you’re preparing to put it in your mouth if the opportunity presents itself.
I’d be lying if I said I don’t begrudgingly respect their ability to shamelessly scavenge for grub, but it’s still pretty hard not to get mad if you end up becoming a victim of one of their raids. That was certainly the case with a guy visiting a popular beach town in England, but he crossed the line after managing to grab hold of the flying offender.
A man in England is in hot water for punching a seagull to death after it stole his sandwich
In 2024, a man in New Jersey was arrested for decapitating a seagull that stole some French fries from his daughter. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to time served after spending 263 days in jail along with five years of probation.
Now, someone else in England could also be facing some legal repercussions for a seagull-related incident that recently unfolded in St. Ives, the coastal town located on the southwest tip of Great Britain next to the Celtic Sea in the county of Cornwall.
According to The Daily Mail, police are asking for help tracking down CCTV footage in connection with an incident that unfolded on Wednesday when a tourist who reportedly resides in Yorkshire unloaded on a seagull that stole his food.
An eyewitness told the outlet that the man in question was snacking on what a worker at a restaurant who served it to him said was a fish sandwich when a seagull decided it wanted it for itself. However, the bird was unable to make a clean getaway, as it was grabbed by the unsuspecting target who “had its head in his hand and punched it hard in the chest.”
They told the outlet he delivered “three or four punches” before throwing the seagull to the ground, and someone who came to its aid said it had a “big hole in its chest” due to the assault and was unlikely to survive.
Seagulls are a protected species in the United Kingdom under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and people who violate that law can face up to six months in prison. The Devon and Cornwall Police say they received multiple reports in the wake of the incident, and they are “appealing for witnesses and footage” in the hopes of getting to the bottom of the matter.