Seagulls could start another pandemic.
Seagulls could cause another pandemic
Brits have been advised to stay at least two metres away from the winged pests "at all times" in a return of the social distancing that was prominent throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says that seagulls are spreading avian flu and pose a "risk to human health".
People have also been urged to avoid contact with other wild birds - including pigeons and swans.
The guidance has been created with the RSPCA and Animal and Plant Health Agency and implores citizens not to "touch or handle wild birds or their droppings".
It adds: "Do not bring them into your house or enclosed space."
The advice has been issued amid fears that bird flu - which has killed "unprecedented" numbers of mammals in recent years - could be the next major human pandemic.