Herring gull sniper being hunted by police after third bird is shot down

Herring gulls enjoy protected status and it is illegal to harm them

By

Chris Matthews

06:00, 22 FEB 2018

Police in Falmouth are on the hunt for a sniper who has been picking off herring gulls perched on the town’s rooftops.

Devon and Cornwall Police response sergeant and wildlife crimes officer Paul Freestone, based in Falmouth, took to Twitter to announce the grim finding.

He tweeted: “This is the third incident of a herring gull being shot in Falmouth. It is illegal and police are investigating. Anyone with info please ring 101. #Wildlifecrime ”

A witness reported seeing the gull drop from the sky

Sergeant Freestone has since told Cornwall Live: “We had a call from a member of the public who had seen a gull drop out of the sky and reported it to a PCSO.

“It’s the third shooting in the Wellington Road area. The PCSO went down there and picked it up and brought it back to the station. The gull had a hole in its head from an air rifle pellet.

Continued