A PUBLIC debate about netting has surfaced after a gull had to be killed after getting trapped in the city.

The netting was on property owned by the high street store marks and Spencer on New Street, Worcester.

Glenn Baird, an RSPCA officer who rescued the gull, said: “We must remember with a lot of our wildlife, it’s us in their environment and not them in ours.

“The more we build on their feeding areas the more we drive inwards to the city to find shelter and food.”

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: “Each year around 2,000 reports are made to the RSPCA about wild birds trapped in or behind netting, many incidents involving bird-deterrent netting. “Problems arise when netting is put up incorrectly or becomes damaged, leaving gaps where birds can enter and become trapped. There was strong reaction on the Facebook page in the Worcester News after Gary the Gull's demise.

Hayley Lewis said: “I’m not a fan of gulls after one stole my sausage roll last year out of my hand but this seems quite an unfortunate end.” Melanie Hinds said: “I’m a huge supporter of animals but the gull population in Worcester needs to be more humanely controlled.

“There’s too many of them for a town which is far from the sea, whereas the wildlife in our surrounding fields gets destroyed by development continuously with the council sticking two fingers up. "

“I walked up The Shambles today and it’s aptly named it’s a right mess, seagulls on the attack and the pedestrian bit covered in their mess.”

READ MORE: Rescue operation has ended for 'Gary' the gull stuck in netting in Worcester

A Worcester City Council spokesman said: “We along with Worcester BID work together to reduce the impact of gulls on businesses and we issue guidance on the best ways to tackle the issue.”

A spokeswoman for M&S said:“Like most retailers we very occasionally use netting, with the guidance of the local council and BID, to help maintain the environment where our customers park and pick up their shopping.”