Seagull stuck in Asda supermarket in south Bristol for over two weeks

A seagull has been stuck in an Asda supermarket in the Bedminster area of Bristol for the past two weeks.

Asda staff, and a specialist team the store has called in to help, have spent every night the store has been closed since early June trying to persuade the seagull to find its way to the exit, but without success.

It wandered in through the doors of the store on Bedminster Parade in the first week of June, and since then has become quite the feature, remaining high above the aisles in the rafters of the store, which is one of Asda’s biggest in the country.

On June 8, the bird’s presence caused a minor stir on social media, when pictures of it were tweeted by customers.

As soon as it arrived, Asda called in its deep cleaning and pest control team, and ever since then, a fortnight-long mission has been in progress.

Every night the store closes at 10pm, but the doors are left open and guarded overnight, while a team of people try to coax the bird down or catch it.

Everything from trails of crisps and bread have been laid, cherry pickers have been deployed and staff with nets have been seen, but the bird has proved far too cunning to be caught.

The situation is concerning a rescue organisation called the Foundation For Feathered Friends. Its founder Denise Theophilus said she has asked Asda if her team could have a go at getting it out - she’s worried it will die in there.

She said: “Gulls are actually protected by law and are on the red listed species for conversation

“The gull has found her way in by accident and rescuers are anxious to trap her and release her before she dies. There is a limited time that they can survive without food and water and she is scared by the alien noises,” she added.

Local resident Amandine Cook said she fears for the bird’s condition the longer it stays trapped in the store. “I saw her last night. She went on the floor for a bit but was spooked by customers. She is not in a great shape, she seems exhausted. The staff said she has lost loads of weight,” she said.

A spokesperson for Asda said: "Our team at Asda Bedminster have attempted to safely remove the bird and to ensure that the store remains clean and tidy throughout. Despite their best efforts, the seagull remains in store and we are now working with specialist contractors to remove the bird.”