04.06.2025 15:41
In an incident that took place in East London, a hawk attacked local resident Louise Whittle. The hawk flew past the woman's head at a distance of about 2-3 centimeters. Following this attack, Havering Council advised students at the nearby Dame Tipping Primary School to stay indoors due to concerns about the hawk.
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Dramatic moments in the Havering area of East London were captured on a door camera. A diving hawk attacked local resident Louise Whittle, who narrowly escaped a great danger at the last moment.
In the video footage, the hawk flies past the woman's head at a distance of about 2-3 centimeters. Still in her robe, Louise Whittle bends down and runs away as the animal escapes in the face of the unexpected attack.
Following this attack, Havering Council advised students at the nearby Dame Tipping Primary School to stay indoors due to concerns about the hawk.
School principal Stella McCarthy stated that they took the students to another nearby open area. She noted that the staff was trying to "embrace" the situation as a "learning experience" for the children.
In an interview with the BBC, she said: "We had to think about how we would conduct a risk assessment... Conducting a risk assessment for a hawk is quite an unusual situation."
"We tried nearby play areas thinking it would be safe, but soon discovered that Brenda was quite interested in the children playing outside."
Raptor expert Ross Hicking visited the school to inform the students about the hawk's behavior. He brought along a Chilean Blue Eagle named Guido.
According to Ross, the hawk is likely behaving aggressively because it has a nest nearby, as they usually tend to avoid humans.
Another factor he added is the suburban environment - which may make the bird more comfortable around people.
The council made the following statement: "Our health and safety team has provided detailed advice to the academy trust school leader, including legal deterrents and other controls."
"We fully understand how difficult and concerning this situation is for the school and local residents, and we are sorry that there is no quick or direct solution."
Havering Council stated that the RSPCA advised that the hawk may be protecting its nest or chicks.
The council also suggested hiring a falconry expert who could deter the aggressive bird. However, since hawks are a protected species under UK law, "intervention options are very limited."
Earlier this year, a man was hospitalized in a quiet village after being attacked by a diving hawk, covered in blood.
The Harris hawk was caught on camera after carrying out consecutive attacks in the village of Flamstead in Hertfordshire. Residents had started wearing helmets or hats to protect themselves from the diving raptor.
Also from Flamstead, 75-year-old Jim Hewitt was attacked by a hawk while going out to get milk and a newspaper, ending up covered in blood.
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