A FOX attacked an Essex great grandmother as she read newspaper

Gill McMahon, 77, needed stitches after the fox attacked her and broke her finger

A great grandmother was bitten three times and had her finger broken in a terrifying attack by a fox that crept into her home as she read a newspaper.

Gill McMahon, 77, was enjoying a morning coffee in her lounge in Little Chesterford, Essex when she felt a ‘sharp pain’ in her finger.

The pensioner looked down to see the creature had its jaws clamped down on her hand, leaving her needing her nail removed along with a tetanus jab and stitches. 

The retiree, who also needs physiotherapy, jumped out of her seat and swung her arm to make the animal loosen its grip, only for it to bite her on the other hand and her right foot.

Mrs McMahon eventually managed to chase the predator away and ran to get her son, who rushed her to hospital in Cambridge.

She said: ‘I felt a sharp pain in my hand on my middle finger.

‘I looked down and there was a fox hanging onto it. I leapt up and started screaming. It seemed like forever.

‘Finally he dropped off and bit my other hand. I must have tried to hit him.’  

‘I haven’t had my french windows open since. I’ve got a stick beside my bed. I’m definitely warier than I was before,’ she added.

Mrs McMahon said the animal also bit her on the foot in the random attack that has left her with a sense of ‘trepidation’ in her £500,000 detached cottage in the Essex countryside. 

Doctors removed Mrs McMahon's nail due to the risk of infection. The 77-year-old also needed stitches and a tetanus jab. She has visited hospital twice for physiotherapy since the attack

Doctors removed Mrs McMahon’s nail due to the risk of infection. The 77-year-old also needed stitches and a tetanus jab. She has visited hospital twice for physiotherapy since the attack

Injuries to Mrs McMahon's feet were sustained after she managed to release the fox from her finger. The attack continues when the intruder turned to her feet and continued biting her

The animal, which had come in through a window, ran into her dining room after the attack

Injuries to Mrs McMahon’s feet were sustained after she managed to release the fox from her finger. The attack continues when the intruder turned to her feet and continued biting her

She added: ‘I thought I was in some sort of nightmare. The only thought that went through my head was, ‘What do I do if it doesn’t let go?’ It really hurt.’

The animal, which had come in through her French windows, then ran into her dining room. 

The great-grandmother-of-five said: ‘It just sort of stood there looking at me. I went in a shooed it away.

‘Nobody heard me scream. I ran and woke up my son. He got some towels because I was bleeding profusely.’

Startled Christopher McMahon, who was staying with his mother while on holiday, drove her straight to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

She said: ‘When I got to hospital, I felt I was living in some sort of fantasy world.

‘It broke one of the bones in my finger. They gave me a tetanus jab, antibiotics and spent quite a lot of time cleaning up the wound and giving me stitches.’

Mrs McMahon likened her ordeal to a 'nightmare' and said she felt like she was living in 'some sort of fantasy world' when she arrived at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with her son

Mrs McMahon likened her ordeal to a ‘nightmare’ and said she felt like she was living in ‘some sort of fantasy world’ when she arrived at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge with her son

The 77-year-old said she believes the intruder got through her open French windows. Mrs McMahon hasn't opened them since and said she even sleeps with a stick by her bedside

The 77-year-old said she believes the intruder got through her open French windows. Mrs McMahon hasn’t opened them since and said she even sleeps with a stick by her bedside

The retired mother-of-two, who has three grandchildren, had to have her nail removed due to risk of infection.

She has returned to hospital twice since the attack, which happened on July 22.

A physiotherapist has given Mrs McMahon exercises to do in order to get the movement back in her damaged finger.

However, urban wildlife consultant John Byrant said that fears about being attacked by foxes should not be blown out of proportion.

Mr Bryant, who in 2014 was given the RSPCA Queen Victoria Gold Medal for his animal welfare work, said that about 7,000 people were treated each year in hospital for dog bites, and around 4,000 for cat bites.

He said: ‘With foxes, I would say it’s about two a year. The chances of anybody being bitten by a fox are minuscule.

‘I’ve worked with foxes for about 45 years and I’ve never come across an aggressive one.’

But the fox expert added it was the time of year when young cubs were starting to explore without their parents.

Mr Bryant added: ‘The youngsters are all over the place. They’re like teenage hooligans.

‘If you leave a door open, they’re likely to jump in because they’re very curious.’

A fox (file picture) similar to the one that attacked Mrs McMahon. Fox expert John Bryant said Mrs McMahon's fingers would have looked like sausages to the animal walking into her home

A fox (file picture) similar to the one that attacked Mrs McMahon. Fox expert John Bryant said Mrs McMahon’s fingers would have looked like sausages to the animal walking into her home

Commenting on Mrs McMahon’s case, he said: ‘To a fox walking in and seeing a finger hanging down, it could be like sausages.’ 

Mrs McMahon has spent most of her life travelling the world with her husband Anthony, who worked in the diplomatic service.

The pair stayed in locations including Turkey, Russia, Pakistan and Honduras but she says this is one of her most peculiar wildlife experiences. 

She said: ‘I’ve lived in some pretty wild places and this is the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me, at least in regards to wildlife.’

 

 



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