A woman was treated for head wounds after a 'terrifying' attack by a seagull that resembled a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, a rescue team said today.
The 36-year-old victim was walking along the seafront at Burnham-on-Sea, in Somerset, when the adult gull swooped and started stabbing her head with its beak.
The woman, who does not wish to be named, suffered three puncture wounds and heavy bleeding in the attack at The Esplanade, near the pier, yesterday morning.
She managed to stumble home and was rushed to Weston general hospital for treatment.
Press officer Mark Newman, who runs the website Burnham-on-sea.com, which normally publicises hovercraft rescues, said: "This was almost certainly an adult trying to protect a young gull.
"The bird obviously thought this lady was walking a little too close to one of its chicks. It was a terrifying incident for her although it only lasted for a matter of seconds.
"She was very shaken up and taken to A&E. There was an awful lot of blood and she required a tetanus injection. Otherwise she is OK. We all think of Hitchcock's film The Birds with something like this and here it is actually happening.
"These incidents are rare, although not unheard of. I would say there are one or two seagull attacks every couple of years in Burnham. I've never heard of anyone actually getting injured before - usually people are able to shoo them away."
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