Rock-dropping seagull closes university building

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Getty Images Stock image of a Ring-Billed Gull, which is white with grey colouring around the edges of its wings and tail, carrying a rock in its mouth while flying in the blue skyGetty Images

The Blavatnik School of Government has been closed for almost a week so repairs can be carried out

A University of Oxford building has been closed for almost a week after a seagull broke a glass roof by repeatedly dropping a stone on it.

A spokesperson for the Blavatnik School of Government has confirmed the bird caused damage to a glass panel on the roof on Wednesday.

In a video posted online by The Telegraph, the bird can be seen bouncing a large stone off the glass roof of the building.

A spokesperson for the school said it remained closed while work was undertaken to repair the glass panel.

Getty Images An exterior view of the Blavatnik School of Government. It is covered in rectangular glass panel windows over four floors. The top two floors are different shaped circular structures, while the first and groumd floor are rectangular.Getty Images

The Blavatnik School of Government was believed to have cost £55m to build

They added: "We hope the building will be open as normal again soon."

The school of government is home to visiting professors like human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

The building reportedly cost £55m to build and is currently being run by chancellor Rachel Reeves's husband, Nicholas Joicey.

Russian-born businessman Leonard Blavatnik donated £75m towards the school.

Seagulls are known to drop shellfish on the ground to try to break them and experts believe the rock being dropped could be an extension of this behaviour.


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