Seagulls one, Sellafield drones nil

Question - what's the difference between the Islamic Republic of Iraq and a herring gull?

 Answer - one is known for aggressiveness, is often a problem neighbour, has caused a headache for nuclear analysts and brings down drones -

and the other is a country in the Middle East!

The West Cumbrian News and Star has the front page headline today "Attack on the drones" about the story that a £30,000 drone which was being used by the Sellafield nuclear site to monitor traffic was attacked and brought down by a herring gull.

The drone crashed on June 13th. An insider from the plant told the local press:

"It came down after being attacked by seagull. "Thankfully, it didn't fall on anybody." 

A local wildlife expert said that the bird responsible is most likely to have been an adult herring gull defending its nest or chicks and which might have perceived the drone as a threat.

A spokesman for Sellafield admitted that they had lost the drone but apparently did not confirm or deny whether this was due to hostile avian attack, telling the press

“No one was injured and there was no risk to nuclear safety. We have referred the incident to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.”

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