Seagull takes on 'snake' at Styan Street in Fleetwood leaving people confused

With seagulls making a comeback in the media for nicking food and attacking animals, a brazen one was videoed on Styan Street this week with what appeared to be a snake in its mouth.

Posting an anonymous video in a Fleetwood Facebook group, the video shows the seagull running down the street with the snake-like creature in its beak, closely followed by another feathered friend/foe.

Many were quick to suggest that it wasn’t a snake, but rather a pipefish. Pipefishes or pipe-fishes are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons, form the family Syngnathidae.

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Described by many as winged menaces, a recent study showed Blackpool to be second for seagull attacks with 18.93 per cent of participants having experienced a run-in with the gulls there.

Brighton ranked top for attacks with 19.92 per cent.

The BBC also recently reported that Cumbria residents were fed up with them, with one saying they were constantly dive bombed at while on their mobility scooter and another said they had now taken to walking about with a water pistol.

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Why do seagulls steal food from us?

The reason seagulls will steal your chips has been uncovered, as they actually prefer food that has been handled by humans.

The birds swoop in on ice creams, chips and other seaside treats because they see people with them.

They see it as a sign of food availability, reacting in a similar way to pet dogs and cats when owners put meals out.