A puffin believed to have washed from the Scilly Isles has been saved by a couple after washing up on Gyllyngvase Beach.

Mark Agnew, manager of the Gylly Beach Cafe, and his girlfriend Chalotte Lodey, were outside the restaurant at around 9.30pm on Tuesday night when they spotted the bird struggling in the surf.

Mark, who lives in the building, said: "I came down to check on the café and Charlotte came down to give me a hand and to look at the sea."

Charlotte continued: "I saw it out of the corner of my eye, it was dragging itself up the beach with its wings, it was so weak.

"It looked like a bird that was drowning, the tide was washing over it."

When she went to pick it up it appeared fairly lifeless, and didn't move or struggle much.

The pair put the bird, tentatively named Puffy, in a box to "de-stress", and in the morning it appeared slightly recovered and was fed fresh cuts of fish from the café kitchen.

Charlotte said: "He's definitely perked up a bit since the fish."

They had intended to release it, but after calling Mousehole Bird Hospital they were told to feed it some sugared fish and to try and release it tomorrow, as if it was not trying to escape then it was probably not ready.

Mark believes it's "more than likely" the puffin washed over from the Isles of Scilly, "Mousehole said that it's really rare to see a puffin this time of year."

Falmouth Packet:

Charlotte Lodey with the puffin she saved