A mum went into early labour after they ripped open their £3,000 sofa to find a giant RAT

A first-time mum went into early labour after ripping open a new £3,000 sofa to find a giant rat hiding inside.

Tori Wedgewood, from Spennymoor, Durham, had been at home with dog Molly when she heard a noise under the sofa.

In a panic, the 25-year-old carer called her fiancé Carl Maddison’s parents Gavin, 50, and Clare, 48, and the pair rushed over to investigate.

When nine-year-old dog Molly began scratching at the £3,000 sofa, Gavin ripped it open and the mutt charged inside only for a huge rat to jump over her head and scurry out of the living room.

Molly eventually killed the intruder, but amidst all the chaos, Tori started to experience cramps and it turned out she was in early labour, giving birth to 5lbs 1ounce Jude Oliver at Durham Hospital the next day.

Hilarious footage shows Gavin egging on the tiny dog as she went ‘berserk’ trying to catch the rat, with Clare instructing him to kill it with a brush and Tori screaming ‘oh my God’ from the safety of the windowsill.

Tori sent the video to window cleaner Carl, 28, who rushed home to make sure the house was rat free and she warned him that the mayhem had brought on ‘period-like pains’.

However this soon proved to be something more and she gave birth later that evening.

Yuk! The first-time mum had been at home with dog Molly when she heard a noise under their sofa

In a panic, the 25-year-old carer called her parents-in-law to be Gavin, 50, and Clare, 48, and the pair rushed over to investigate

When nine-year-old dog Molly began scratching at the sofa, Gavin ripped it open and the mutt charged inside only for a huge rat to jump over her head and scurry out of the living room

After Molly killed the rodent, the couple decided to destroy their three-piece suite by ripping them open with knives out of fear there were more hiding inside and say they couldn’t be prouder of ‘softie’ Molly for chasing it away.

Tori said: ‘I heard a noise so I mentioned to my partner that I thought there was something under the couch. His mum and dad came across to have a look and Gavin lifted the sofas on end.

‘Molly was going berserk sniffing and scratching at them so Gavin ripped all the fabric off the bottom and when the dog got close, Clare noticed something black run across the floor to the other chair.

Tori sent the video to window cleaner Carl, 28, (pictured) who rushed home to make sure the house was rat free and she warned him that the mayhem had brought on ‘period-like pains’

However the ‘period-like pains’ soon proved to be something more and she gave birth later that evening

After going into early labour she gave birth to 5lbs 1ounce Jude Oliver at Durham Hospital the next day

‘Gavin ripped the fabric off again and saw something moving inside. I was recording him for a laugh. I screamed at the top of my voice when I saw the rat run over the dog.

‘I was terrified. As the rat started to run, the dog chased it and tried to bite it and I ran across the room as fast as possible, screaming at the top of my voice. I was so scared.

‘The dog was chasing the rat around the living room, she caught it and started to bite it in the corner and Gavin was shouting for a pan to kill it with. It was hilarious at the time but my heart was in my mouth.

The dog was chasing the rat around the living room, she caught it and started to bite it in the corner

The dog chased it and tried to bite it as the large rodent ran across the room and under the sofa 

Molly was going berserk sniffing and scratching at the sofa so Gavin ripped all the fabric off the bottom and when the dog got close, Clare noticed something black run across the floor to the other chair

‘A few hours after this all happened, after all the commotion, running across the floor and screaming, when it’d calmed and we knew there was no more rats after checking the sofas and ripping more to check, I had been getting period-like pains and felt a bit uneasy.

‘Then later, when I went to the toilet, I noticed my waters had slightly broke and there were spots of blood. A trip to the hospital confirmed that I was in labour.

‘We have the rat to thank for Jude’s early arrival.’

The rat crept into the house at around 3pm and as the pair settled down at 10pm that evening.

Tori said the dog keeps going back to check that the rat is gone as  every time she walks past, she has a sniff underneath the sofa

Tori said she’s ‘so proud of Molly’, saying the dog is actively looking around the garden to see if she can find more

After going into early labour she gave birth to 5lbs 1ounce Jude Oliver at Durham Hospital the next day.

Carl added: ‘Our house backs onto a woodland area with a small river about 20 yards from our back garden and she keeps the conservatory door open when she’s in.

‘They sent me the video and I was in hysterics and came home straight away.

‘She was totally fine beforehand, no pains or anything then she said it felt like period pains. She’d sprinted across the room screaming. Her waters had gone at 10.30pm.

‘It’s crazy to see Jude here, his face is there and he should be inside of her still. It’s a good job he came, he looks great.

‘The birth was great, she managed really well.’

Tori said: ‘I was absolutely terrified and I felt sick. I hate the thought of rats and I’ve never seen one before so I was terrified.

Happy family: Carl said it’s ‘crazy to see Jude here’ as he should still be inside of Tori still, saying ‘he looks great’

‘I’m so proud of Molly. She’s actively looking around the garden to see if she can find more. I think she loved it.

‘I didn’t know she had it in her, she’s a fairly old dog and is the most soft and loving dog and has never shown any form of aggression.’

‘I’m happy there are no more rats but I’m gutted the sofa is ripped to bits.. It doesn’t feel clean now knowing a rat is in there and with having a new-born, we’re definitely going to get rid and get a new one.’

Carl said: ‘Molly is the softest dog, she’s a lap dog, she’s scared of her own shadow and she’s scared of the hoover. That’s why it was so out of character for her. Dad was encouraging her to see if she would to save him from chasing it around.

‘My dad dismantled the couch and pulled all the lining out. Tori is determined to get a new one because a rat has been underneath this one.

‘We’ve had to rip the fabric because it was hiding inside and cut it open with a knife to make sure there were no more rats.

‘The dog keeps going back to check. We’ve disinfected the floor but the dog is still at it now, every time she walks past, she has a sniff underneath.’

Carl explained that Molly is ‘the softest dog, she’s a lap dog’, she’s ‘scared of her own shadow’ and she’s scared of the hoover