MOMENTS after this picture was taken the seagull swallowed the corn husk and stick whole.

The woman who took the snap , Pauline Guppy, believes the husk was fast food that had been discarded on the beach.

She hopes the seabird will be able to regurgitate it, and has called for people to think carefully before throwing away litter and food remnants.

Pauline, who encountered the gull at Poole's Sandbanks beach, said: "When I realised what it was, I ran over to the bird, hoping to scare it into dropping the corn.

"But he just flew off a few feet away, actually swallowed it, had the stick poking out its beak.

"After a few more swallows it was gone. I couldn’t believe what I'd just seen.

"It is not just plastic that is causing problems to wildlife - people should be more responsible for their rubbish."

Earlier this month the Leave Only Footprints campaign was launched at Bournemouth beach.

This Daily Echo-backed initiative is designed to encourage people to dispose of their rubbish carefully, and invites local businesses to support local authorities by getting involved in litter-picking.

More than 200 new bins have been added along the seafront in recent weeks, increasing capacity by 70 per cent and offering a recycling option at every location.

Beach staff are also keen to encourage the public to put waste into the right bins to make recycling easier.

Bournemouth and Poole spends around £500,000 each year keeping the beaches clean with six full-time and 15 seasonal staff members. There are three beach tractors, surf rakes and other tractor-mounted kit.

Around 2,000 tons of waste is collected from the seafront each year, almost half of which is recyclable material. The rest is processed for energy with a small percentage sent to landfill.

Meanwhile, the RSPB has called for people to take a more understanding view of seagulls this summer.

Morwenna Alldis, RSPB south west spokesman, said: "We need to change the way we behave around gulls and try to live harmoniously alongside them."

RSPCA scientific officer Llewelyn Lowen explained: "Not feeding the gulls, disposing of rubbish properly and limiting gulls' nesting opportunities in urban environments will help to reduce any problems."