A MAN was seen beating a seagull to death with a children's toy spade in front of horrified families on a packed beach.
The injured gull was battered after being hit by fizzy drink cans hurled by a group at Porthgwidden Beach in St Ives, Cornwall, it's claimed.
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A horrified eyewitness claims this man beat a seagull to death with a children's toy spade Credit: BPM 4
A gull was attacked at Porthgwidden Beach in St Ives, Cornwall, it's claimed (STOCK PHOTO) Credit: AFP
One man walked towards the bird before "beating it to death with a kids spade" on Saturday evening, a horrified eyewitness said.
The woman said she and a family member confronted the group after the beach bloodbath, but were verbally abused by them.
She told Cornwall Live: "We have just witnessed a family throwing Coke cans at a seagull.
"As if this wasn’t bad enough, because one was badly injured from the can throwing, one of the men beat it to death with a kids' spade in front of all of our children and a whole beach full of families.
'DISGUSTED'
"We then confronted them to state how disgusted we were with their behaviour, to be verbally abused by them."
She added: "It was absolutely awful. In my whole life I have never witnessed that kind of violence against an animal."
Another man - who was not in the group accused of targeting the gull- was praised after picking up the dead seagull and moving it from distressed children.
The police were called after the shocking incident around around 5.30pm, but the group had already fled, she said.
It was absolutely awful. In my whole life I have never witnessed that kind of violence against an animal
A horrified eyewitness
Rubbish, towels and sunscreen were left on Porthgwidden beach by the group.
Sun Online have contacted the police for comment.
It comes after a man was filmed throttling a seagull before hurling it into the sea after it tried to steal his doughnut.
Tourists gasped in horror as the man grabbed the gull and held onto it by its neck for more than a minute until it dropped the treat in Devon.
It is illegal to intentionally kill take or onjure gulls or their eggs.
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The RSPCA says: "Gulls and their nests are protected by law: like all wild birds, gulls, their chicks and their nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
"This means it's illegal to intentionally kill, take or injure gulls, take or destroy their eggs, or damage or destroy any gull nests while they're in use or being built - unless you're acting under licence.
"They're considered species of conservation concern in the UK because there's evidence suggesting that their populations are in decline overall."
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This man - who was not involved in the incident and not the man accused of attacking the gull - was praised for moving the dead seagull away from distressed children Credit: BPM 4
A group allegedly threw cans of fizzy drink at the bird before it was killed Credit: BPM
Sick video shows man kicking seagull across beach