Day of the birds ... just like a Hitchcock movie!

The fledglings had got themselves stuck underneath the wire mesh between two chimneys, in Ringwood Road, so the intrepid rescuers used the turntable from Hastings fire station to get up to the roof and free the youngsters.

But their efforts were somewhat hindered when mum and dad seagull decided to use dirty tactics to defend their young from the men in yellow helmets.

They even called in several of their feathered friends to help out.

"It's like a scene from that Alfred Hitchcock film," commented one resident.

Luckily, fire crews in coastal towns are well used to dealing with such little problems and worked quickly to cause the birds the minimum of distress.

r Twenty-four hours later, firefighters were called out again when two fledglings became trapped in the wire mesh.

Again, the turntable ladder had to be called from Hastings. Again, its crew had to pull down the protective visors on their helmets as the parent birds attacked.

But there should be no repeats of the roof-top emergencies.

Sub Officer Peter Everett said: "Previously when we released them we did not disturb the nest. Unfortunately, the gulls came back to the nest. One got its wing caught in the mesh and was injured as it struggled to get free.

"This time we got RSPCA permission to disturb the nest. We took down the mesh and the two birds. The injured one was taken to the vet's by a local lady where it is being treated for a damaged wing."