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Sunderland seagull stuck 30ft in air takes zip-wire ride to safety

A gull left hanging 30ft (9m) upside down from a telegraph cable was zip-wired to safety by firefighters in Sunderland.

One of the seabird’s feet had been pierced by a fishing lure, which then snagged on to the wire as he was in flight, leaving the bird suspended above Ashbrooke Crescent car park.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service used a throw line to pull the bird across to the nearest telegraph pole, where an officer brought him down to safety.

The gull escaped with only a small wound to its foot and will be released back into the wild after a period of recuperation at a rescue centre.

RSPCA inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws said it was "one of the most bizarre rescues" she had seen.

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4 May 2022

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