Bird-snagging 'death trap' netting should be removed, locals say

Residents in west London have called for the removal of a newly installed safety net on a Transport for London (TfL) depot in Northfields, after it trapped and killed wild birds. One man told the BBC that gulls have become trapped and were "dying slow and painful deaths. "One has been dying loudly for four days." A spokesperson for the Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton, which carried out the rescue, said the net was "not a deterrent for birds, it's an expensive death trap". TfL said it took animal welfare "very seriously" and all the birds had been released. It said it was repairing the netting to prevent it happening again and would continue to assess its effectiveness. Anthony Percival has lived next to the depot for nearly 40 years, with a large section of the roof and netting visible at the end of his garden. He reported a trapped gull to TfL and local wildlife groups and monitored it as it remained trapped over four days. "It's quite upsetting, obviously, you could see it was distressed. I think birds have feelings and it was probably wondering how to get out and it was trying its best to get out. "I was just amazed that it was able to keep doing it and keep trying for for so long