Queen guitarist Brian May has praised the team cleaning sea birds found covered in a sticky sustance on beaches in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.
He's been visiting the RSPCA's West Hatch Centre near Taunton. Dr May is the organisation's vice president. He also joined a rally protesting against the forthcoming badger cull.
The RSPCA are calling for an investigation after pollution harmed hundreds of seabirds for the second time in two months. More than 170 birds, most of them guillemots, were treated at the charity's West Hatch wildlife centre in Taunton after they were washed up covered in a sticky substance.
They were found as far west as Mevagissey and round to Plymouth, Looe and Whitsand Bay. Many more birds were found dead on the beaches. Experts from Plymouth University have confirmed the chemical as polyisobutene (PIB), the same substance affecting birds in February.
– Peter Venn, Manager, RSPCA West HatchIt was bad enough seeing so many birds come to us in such a terrible state last time but for it to happen again and so soon is devastating.
It is a huge concern to learn that it is the same substance coating these birds. It makes you wonder whether it could keep on happening unless a serious effort is made to look into where these spills are coming from and how they can be stopped.
A proper investigation is needed to stop this happening again and again, or else our wildlife are likely to go on suffering and dying.
Anyone who finds a bird covered in the chemical should contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and should not try to touch the birds or catch them.
Experts from Plymouth University have confirmed that the pollutant harming hundreds of seabirds off the westcountry coastline is polyisobutene (PIB). It's the same substance that affected large numbers of birds in February.
Some of the seabirds washed up on the Dorset coast have been released back into the wild today.
They were found covered in an oil-type substance last month and have been looked after at the RSPCA centre in West Hatch in Somerset.
They were released from a clifftop on Portland.
Laura Makin-Isherwood reports:
Experts have identified the chemical which has caused a pollution incident off the South West coast. It's an oil additive, known as polyisobutene. Meanwhile the RSPCA Wildlife Centre in West Hatch is continuing to deal with birds caught up in the spill. Watch Caron Bell's report.
A change in wind direction could have killed thousands more birds after scores were found washed ashore along England's south coast.
Read the full storyThe RSPB says around 400 birds in total have been rescued from along the south coast but experts are still trying to detmenine exactly what caused the pollution incident.
The charity says it highlights the need for sea birds to be given formal protection in marine conservation zones. Richard lawrence reports.
