An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report said the bird flew over the operator from behind and attacked the drone. 

The pilot tried to engage manual control, but the front right propeller was damaged in the attack and the drone, which weighed 6.14 kg, fell onto the roof.

The report added: “The pilot had previously operated the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in coastal and onshore locations where gulls were present, and had been cautious while operating in their areas, especially in the nesting season.

“He had not experienced this level of aggression before and noted that it was one of the black-headed gulls in the area which had attacked the UAS.”