An endangered bird was moved from railway tracks after three platforms had to be closed for nearly an hour.

Three platforms at Brighton station were shut for roughly 40 minutes after a rare Herring Gull flew onto the tracks yesterday evening.

Animal rescuers swooped in to save the bird who was whisked away from the tracks.

Justin King, founder of South Coast Bird Voluntary network, said: "A young baby herring gull stuck on the rail tracks at Brighton station, unable to fly out flowing an earlier fight with another seabird.

"The little bird was very small, scared and underdeveloped but was taken home for a big fish dinner and is currently at Bird Aid, a well known gull sanctuary.

"I cannot sing the praises of Network Rail enough. They were on the scene within 20 minutes and were prepared to wait until two of us arrived to catch the little baby.

The Argus: The young herring gullThe young herring gull (Image: Justin King)

"It would have been a very different story should this have occurred during the summer season. Apologies all round for any inconvenience caused."

A Southern Rail spokesman said that three platforms had their electricity supply cut at around 7pm yesterday while the bird was rescued.

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Animal rescuers from the South Coast Bird Voluntary Network helped to shepherd the bird away from the tracks and rescued it from the station.

Electricity was switched back on to the platforms shortly before 7.45pm.

Some train services heading to and from Brighton were forced to stop at earlier stations including Preston Park, Haywards Heath and Three Bridges.

Herring Gulls are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature “red list” of endangered species due to ongoing population declines.

Disruption on services ended shortly after 8pm.