A QUICK-THINKING holidaymaker helped save a gull and a crayfish caught in fishing line during her trip to the beach.

Jules Murray, from Peterborough, was enjoying a trip to Avon Beach, near Christchurch, on Saturday, July 16, when she spotted the black-backed gull who had been speared through the tongue by a fishing hook.

The other end of the line had become tangled around a crayfish so neither creature could escape.

The bird was in distress and flapping its wings. Jules, having recently taken a bird handling course, was confident she could help so she managed to hold the gull while the line was cut. She then took the bird to the coastguard and they contained it in a bin before calling the RSPCA.

Inspector Jo Story took the gull to nearby Priory Vets.

She said: “Black-backed gulls are bigger than most people expect and they have very long beaks and can give a nasty bite, which is why we advise people not to try and handle them.”

The vet discovered the fishing hook had a tiny barb, which was stopping it from coming out of the gull’s tongue. They used bolt croppers to cut off the barb and, after a short recovery, Inspector Story was able to return the bird to the beach for release.

She added: “The bird recovered very quickly. He hopped out of the carrier onto the beach and another gull came over. I’m guessing it was his mate as they did some head bobbing and stretching and then flew off together.

“Jules was still there and said it made her day to see the gull back in the wild. It was a great rescue and it makes our job worthwhile to be able to release a wild animal back to where it came from after having been injured by human litter.”

Every year fishing litter (hooks, weights, line) causes injury and death to thousands of wild animals, according to the RSPCA.

Line can wrap around necks causing deep wounds in flesh and cutting off the blood supply, hooks can pierce beaks or become embedded in skin, and weights can be swallowed causing internal injuries and blockages.

The charity says people can help tackle the problem by taking unwanted fishing line home and cutting it into pieces before putting it in the bin.

They also advise never to leave bait unattended – always remove it from the hook and put it in a safe place. Using a bait box will reduce the chances of leaving behind an empty bait tin by mistake.

A website dedicated to fishing litter can be found at rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/litter/fishing