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Warning to check roof netting after gulls trapped

Haider SaleemNorth West
RSPCA A man attends to a trapped bird on a rooftop. It is stuck underneath a black net and glass roof.RSPCA
RSPCA officers had to climb on to the roof to free the birds

Businesses and landlords in Liverpool have been warned to check the standard of rooftop bird netting after RSPCA officers had to free two trapped gulls from the top of a three-storey building.

The charity said the birds were found at The Albany apartment block in Old Hall Street on 10 July.

Both were injured and dehydrated and taken to the charity's Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire, with one later having to be put down after suffering a broken pelvis.

The RSPCA urged property owners to inspect and maintain rooftop netting regularly, warning that damaged sections or gaps can leave birds entangled and at risk of injury or starvation.

Bird-deterrent netting is legal and the RSPCA says it can be a humane measure when fitted correctly. Natural England said netting should use suitable mesh and be properly maintained because wild birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law.

RSPCA officer Benedict Marshall described the netting involved as "quite simply a death trap for wildlife" and urged those responsible for deterrent netting to carry out regular checks.

RSPCA A man attends to a trapped bird on a rooftop. It is stuck underneath a black net and glass roof.RSPCA
The RSPCA described the netting as "a death trap for wildlife"

The officers reached The Albany's roof through a trapdoor using a ladder before freeing the birds, one of which was entangled.

In a separate case, the RSPCA said a gull at Notre Dame Catholic Academy in Everton was trapped for about 48 hours before being freed.

The charity said the school had agreed to remove all its rooftop netting.

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