Seagull which survived cruel crossbow attack 'fell from the sky' dead after suspected buzzard clash

The seagull, which frequented Blackpool fast food establishment car parks, with a particular penchant for KFC buckets from Devonshire Road's branch, survived a vicious crossbow attack in May last year.

The perpetrators were never found, but the brave bird defied the odds and survived the attack, and was spotted tucking into discarded food with a 20 inch arrow through its body months later.

Animal rights group PETA offered £1,000 for “information leading to the arrest and conviction” of the person who shot a seagull with an arrow.

But despite surviving the cruel attack, the bird met a gruesome end last week when it "fell out of the sky and hit the deck" next to business owner Paul Fennell.

Paul, owner of body repair shop Fylde Coast Collision in Brinwell Road, was loading a van with a colleague when he saw the bird fall onto the ground.

He said: "We were just in the yard, I just saw something fall from the sky and hit the deck right next to me.

"There are loads of seagulls in the area, but when I moved closer I saw that this one had an arrow right through its body.

"It had died, but there was no blood where the arrow was and the end had been worn away. I hadn't heard about this bird but my brother told me later it had been in the news - and I couldn't believe it had survived this long.

"There was a buzzard circling really high in the sky above it, so I think it might have been attacked by it and fell.

"I'm from Stalmine so I see them all the time, and in warmer weather you can see them really high up in Blackpool."

Paul moved the dead bird off his yard and under some trees, with the intention of ringing the RSPCA to come and collect it.

But the following morning, the bird had gone.

"I don't know what got to it, maybe a cat or a fox or something," Paul added.

"We nicknamed it Steven Seagal."