Court brought to standstill by a flock of seagulls

The deafening cry of a flock of seagulls temporarily brought court proceedings to a halt at South Tyneside Magistrates Court on Fridayy.



Magistrates stopped solicitor Kevin Smallcombe in his tracks during a hearing as voices struggled to be heard among the chatter from above.

Gary Cracknell, chairman of the magistrates, asked for a case hearing to stopped while court officials investigated whether windows in court room three could be closed. He told the court: “I’m sorry, Mr Smallcombe, I will have to stop you there.



"It is impossible to hear with this noise.” Proceedings stopped for a number of minutes before it was discovered that the windows have an automatic open and shut mechanism, which operates depending on temperature. The gulls eventually quietened down.