A shoplifting seagull's daring raid has been caught on camera

Virgin Radio

13 May 2021, 12:13

If you’ve ever walked down one of the UK’s many lovely seafronts while eating a sandwich or a bag of chips, you’ll likely know the feeling of abject fear that a seagull is going to swoop down and steal some out of your hand. Well, not content with such acts of daylight robbery, it turns out that now seagulls are actually shoplifting.

A seagull was recently caught on camera going into a branch of Co-op in Aberdeen and helping himself to a sandwich. The whole thing was filmed by a Facebook user called Veberley Macdonald, who was waiting outside the shop when she spotted the seagull getting up to no good. 

Apparently, the seagull is so notorious locally, that he has been given a name... Gus! 

The video shows Gus cleverly time his walk through the automatic doors and into the shop, whereby he helps himself to a tuna sandwich and, cool as a cucumber, walks back towards the exit. 

However, like so many criminal plans, there was a massive flaw. Gus wasn’t big enough to trigger the door's sensor, so he found himself stuck inside the shop, an absolute sitting duck (or sitting seagull) for capture. Disaster! 

However, a passer-by then comes to Gus’ rescue. Spotting the bird stuck inside the store, they open the door, allowing Gus to break free. 

The drama wasn’t done yet though. Like all good heist movies, there was a late twist to the plot. Just as Gus senses freedom, a slightly less free-spirited, more law-abiding member of the public then attempts to thwart the daring escape. 

Gus wasn’t giving up now though, and with a quick shimmy, he made his final burst for freedom. 

The perfect crime! All he needed to do now was work out how to get the wrapping open.

The video has gone viral on social media, with many users sharing it and thousands commenting. One said, “3 types of humans here, one filming, one helping the seagull escape and one trying to take the sandwich off it.”

Other people, meanwhile, recounted their own seagull stories. One commented, “I saw a seagull lift a whole battered cod off a guy about 9 seconds after leaving the chip shop.”