84-year-old woman 'nearly blinded' in seagull attack

Anne Thirlwell was attacked on the seafront in Lyme Regis. Credit: ITV News Westcountry

A great-grandmother from Lyme Regis claims she nearly lost an eye when a seagull swooped on her to steal her ice cream on the seafront.

Anne Thirlwell, who is 84, was left with a four inch cut on the side of her face, just an inch from her right eye.

Anne was left with a long cut across the right side of her face. Credit: ITV News Westcountry

Anne was tended to by staff from the ice cream parlour after the initial shock.

She did not require hospital treatment, but has had to care for the wound every day since the attack last week.

Anne is now calling for more efforts in protecting people from seagull attacks in the coastal town.

"It could have happened to children, which it did for a little girl from Seaton, it was in the local paper the other month, the gull bit her finger.

More needs to be done to try and stop this, people need to be more aware when they are eating by the seaside".

Seagull attacks have been on the rise in coastal towns across the Westcountry. Credit: ITV News Westcountry

Watch Nick Smith's full report here: