A GULL had a painful experience in Abergele after catching his wing on sharp wire.

The poor bird was left stuck and was unable to fly away. The sharp points pierced the bird’s wing and penetrated the joint leaving the gull helpless and hanging from the barbed wire.

It’s not known how long the bird was stuck there but thankfully a member of the public spotted his plight and contacted the RSPCA for help.

Michael Pugh, RSPCA Inspector, attended the incident on Peel Street. He managed to rescue the gull but his injuries were too severe and he had to be put to sleep.

Mr Pugh said: “This sad story acts as a reminder to the public that barbed wire can be very dangerous to animals and we would urge people to take extra care when installing fencing or security measures and to avoid using barbed wire where possible, particularly if it’s located somewhere where animals may become trapped easily.”

Mr Pugh rescued a gull from fencing a couple of weeks ago in Bangor; the gull became caught on a loose wire on a chain link fence and suffered a broken leg.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals, visit their website www.rspca.org.uk/homeor call the donation line on 0300 123 8181.

The charity is currently calling for the giving of pets as prizes to be banned. Supporters are being urged to write to their councillor, asking them to propose a Notice of Motion that would ban any events on local authority land where pets were being given away as prizes.