A schoolgirl has been praised by RSPCA volunteers after she managed to help save a bird stuck in her family's house guttering.

Hope Cross from Hawkinge worked with her mum Corrina to rescue the seagull chick when they noticed it had slipped down the roof.

The Folkestone RSPCA shared the six-year-old's rescue on their Facebook page, saying she had a "great future working with animals".

The Churchill School pupil said: "We wrapped it in a towel, and it was poorly so I gave it a hug then put it in a box.

"We took it to the vets but they couldn't take it, so we took it to another vets in Dover called Burnham House."

Mrs Cross, who lives on Storey Crescent, said: "We drove the gull over to Dover, and Hope put her legs on top of the box in case the gull tried to get out, but it didn't as it was so dehydrated.

"We dropped it to Burnham house and they took it. Hope cried then as she would miss the seagull."

Hope has a knack for saving living things, including a butterfly whose wings were bent and spiders.

She also moves snails out of people's way so they don't get squashed: "I want to work with animals all over the world, saving them and teaching people about them.

"I liked the baby seagull because it was cute and fluffy."

Linda Hicks, a volunteer at the Folkestone branch of the charity, said: "Right now the national society is stretched to it’s limit with gull chicks so on this occasion, I was able to guide Corrina in rescuing the chick safely and give her advice on where to take him.

"Chicks that leave the nest too soon or are injured will need several weeks of care before they are self-sufficient, and places to take them are limited.

"The RSPCA will always attend if they are able but local people are vital in helping too, as Corrina and Hope did."

Ms Hicks said that the RSPCA Wildlife Centre near Hastings is one of just four in the country which takes up to 200 gulls, but they are already close to capacity with 150.

The chick was handed over to Jeremy Stattersfield, principal veterinary surgeon at Burnham House Vets in Dover and Havelock House in Folkestone.

The vet takes in many animals from the RSPCA and the gull will remain with him until it can be released.

Ms Hicks said gull accidents are a really common problem around this time of year: "We've had at least one a day reported.

"What happens is that they get a bit more mobile and end up falling out of the nest, and on this occasion sliding down the roof and into the gutter."

She provided advice on what to do if you find one: "If the chick isn’t in immediate danger, from a road for example, and if at least one parent is close by, then they are best left alone.

"The parent will protect and feed them.

"If they are in danger they can be moved into a safe place or back to the nest, but beware of the parent swooping.

"Only intervene if the chick is injured or in danger.

"Wear gloves, and place them in a cardboard box and put it somewhere cool."