The fire brigade has been accused of wasting taxpayers' money after seven firefighters took two hours to rescue a seagull.
One crew was called to the roof of a sausage factory after reports a bird was trapped under netting.
The RSPCA called Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service on Wednesday to free the bird. But when they discovered they could not reach it, they called for back-up. A second crew with a hydraulic aerial platform was then dispatched by fire service headquarters.
It travelled 12 miles from its base in Taunton to the sausage factory in Bridgwater. The estimated cost of the rescue operation was £800.
The fire service has defended its actions saying the operation was “good training”. It is planning to send the RSPCA a bill for the costs of the rescue but the RSPCA has not confirmed whether or not it will pay. Chris Ellis, of Bridgwater fire station, said: “We responded at the request of the RSPCA. It was an animal welfare incident where we attempted to access the roof via other means but the bird was in an inaccessible area so we requested the use of the hydraulic platform. To leave the bird trapped in netting on the roof would have been inhumane.”
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