A man was walking home from the shops when he was gored by a seagull, an incident that left him requiring a tetanus injection. Robert Malyszek, 51, was on Stanley Road in Kirkdale when the bird struck him from behind, leaving a bloody gash on his head.
Attack Details
The attack occurred at approximately 9:40 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, as Robert was returning from Daria Foods Polish supermarket. He believes he passed near a nesting seagull, causing it to lash out defensively to protect its eggs. Robert recounted the event: 'I was walking down the street with my shopping bag full of food and going home. I passed the garages and suddenly I felt something fall into my head from behind and at first I thought it was a piece of brick. Then I felt my head and felt blood.'
He added: 'The seagull attacked me again from the front and I covered my head and ran away. It was scary in the middle of the street. I didn't really know what to do because it's never happened to me before. I washed the wound with soap and water and septic cream and just lay back wondering what to do.'
Medical Response
The following day, Robert contacted his GP at Vauxhall Health Centre for advice and was asked to attend the surgery. There, he received a tetanus jab, commonly administered for animal-inflicted wounds to reduce infection risk. He explained: 'They told me it's not a big wound, it was just bleeding a lot because it was in a sensitive area. But a seagull is a wild animal and very dirty. These flying things eat rats and mice and food from the street and rubbish from the bins.'
Robert noted that his case was unusual: 'I was the first person ever to turn up to my GP practice with this sort of wound so they didn't really know what to do with me. They were talking among themselves and eventually decided to send me for a tetanus jab just for peace of mind. I felt very anxious about it so I agreed.'
Seagull Incidents in Liverpool
This is not the first time seagulls in Liverpool have been involved in brazen attacks on members of the public carrying food. In 2024, the ECHO documented the rise of so-called 'XL gullies' reportedly swiping people's lunches in Liverpool city centre. Last year, Liverpool ONE used Harris Hawks to scare off the 'voracious' birds and prevent them from laying eggs near the shopping centre.
Warning to Residents
Robert, a resident of Kirkdale, expressed a desire to warn fellow residents about the seagull attack, which occurred outside the car park of T & S Motor Factors Ltd. He said: 'It's just a normal popular street where people are walking and people should know about it because it could be dangerous for kids or people on bikes. If a seagull attacked a cyclist they could fall over and crash. I wanted to warn people.'
He added: 'I think they have a nest in the area. I think they were protecting the chicks and the nest, so when they see something moving near they can get pretty aggressive.'
