A SEAGULL was rescued after becoming trapped in a phone line in Barrow.

The young lesser black backed gull was spotted on Monday afternoon in Duke Street, dangling by its right wing, and the RSPCA was called.

RSPCA inspector Will Lamping said: “I rang the company responsible for maintaining telephone lines, and they attended with a cherry picker and recovered the gull.

“The bird had become impaled on a clip around the lines which had caused puncture wounds to the trapped wing, and these were bleeding, but I could find no breaks so I took the gull to a vets who agreed, and transported it to Kendal College Animal Rescue Centre.”

The college’s animal rescue centre is the first of its kind, with specialist wildlife rehabilitation and on-site vets who work directly with local RSPCA officers to help animals and give their students the chance to learn at the same time.

An x-ray confirmed the bird had suffered no breaks and the puncture wounds were stitched up.

Inspector Lamping said: “Thankfully it looks like this is a story that will have a happy ending.

“The bird is getting lots of TLC - it’s recovering from dehydration and is on antibiotics right now - and it’s hoped it’ll make full recovery and be ready for release back into the wild soon.”