Fury as kittiwake appears to get trapped and dies in controversial netting on Newcastle Quayside

The endangered birds nest around the Tyne Bridge but some people claim they are getting stuck in the netting

Hannah Graham

14:15, 20 APR 2018

Bird lovers have been tweeting their fury after an endangered seabird was apparently trapped in controversial nets on Newcastle’s Quayside.

Wildlife photographer Alan Hewitt claims he spotted a dead kittiwake stuck in netting designed to discourage the birds from nesting on the front of Quayside buildings.

The Quayside’s famous kittiwake flock is unique, as the gulls usually nest and breed on the coast.

The roughly 800 breeding pairs, which inhabit the Tyne Bridge during the summer, are thought to be the only ones in the world which set up home as far as 13km away from the sea, feeding as far away as the Farne Islands.

But while they’re popular with bird watchers, many of the Quayside’s businesses seek to discourage kittiwakes from nesting on their property because of the mess and disruption they can cause.

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