A group of paddleboarders helped rescue a gull spotted hanging by a fishing hook and line caught in his beak but the poor bird could not be saved.

RSPCA rescuer Tina Nash was called to Folkestone waterfront on January 27, where passers-by spotted the stricken bird hanging from the waterfront barriers.

She said: “This poor bird had got a fishing hook caught in his beak, sadly something we see all too often.

"He’d then got the trailing line snagged on the concrete wall and was left dangling in a very precarious and perilous position.

“The paddleboarders had spotted the stricken bird and offered to help so they paddled over and managed to reach him and bring him to me on the coastline.

“I took the bird to RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife Centre, in Hastings, but, sadly, the hook had done serious damage to him and the gull was really poorly so our vets felt the only option was to put him to sleep so he was not suffering.

"It just goes to show how hazardous discarded fishing litter can be to our wildlife.”

The animal protection charity has now issued a warning to anglers to properly dispose of waste.

The RSPCA noted discarded line is a terrible hazard for wildlife, particularly as it can be almost invisible.

Anglers are being encouraged to follow the Angling Trust’s Take 5 campaign and make use of the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme to dispose of their waste tackle and line.

Fishing litter recycling points are now located at the RSPCA’s four wildlife centres in Norfolk, East Sussex, Shropshire and Somerset, as well as hundreds of other sites throughout the UK.

Top tips include:

• Take old fishing line and spools to recycling points in local tackle shops or fisheries. Your nearest recycling point can be found on the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme (ANLRS) website. Alternatively, old fishing line can be posted to the address on the ANLRS page.

• Be aware of surrounding trees – discarded line caught in foliage causes problems for wildlife.
• Use a bait box and don’t leave bait unattended – always remove it from the hook and put it in a safe place.
• Safely dispose of any litter you see, even if it’s not your own.

The charity receives around 3,000 calls each year about animals affected by angling litter.

Incidents reported to the RSPCA included birds swallowing fishing hooks and entanglements in fishing line, often leading to death.

Water birds were the most affected with the species with the highest numbers of calls being swans, followed by geese, ducks and gulls.

If you come across an animal that has been injured or become tangled in fishing litter please contact the RSPCA’s emergency hotline on 0300 1234 999.

Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here.

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone