Dead birds found tangled in nets on Cornish beach

Up to 15 birds have died on a beach in Cornwall after getting caught up in abandoned fishing gear.

Rescuers said they found the birds, many thought to be European Shags, at Carne Beach on the Roseland Peninsula, near Porthscatho, on Friday 20 January. It is not known whether the net was placed on the beach to fish on its own overnight or ended up being lost from a boat or its mooring further out and ended up drifting onto the sand.

One of the trapped European Shags (William Barnicoat).

William Barnicoat, who found the birds and also called for help to free them, said they were caught in a large single net. He told BBC Cornwall that he only saw two go back into the sea. Mr Barnicoat said on Facebook the birds were caught in a "huge net" in a "horrible situation" and "a few" were able to be freed.

One local resident who took the pictures of the beachgoers trying to free the entangled birds said: "Someone has left a fishing net out and it's caught loads of birds. Locals have been at the beach trying to rescue them. Only three birds were alive."