A pensioner was forced to fight off a snarling badger with a broom after the creature snuck into his home and made its way up the stairs.
Graham Rait, 74, thought one of his four grandchildren had left a stuffed toy on the landing of his home in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
But when he went to pick up the black and white fluffball he was stunned when the ‘toy’ raised its head at him – and bared its teeth.
Horrified Graham shouted for wife Hazel, 73, who snapped pictures of the woodland creature on their digital camera, before Graham chased it down the stairs with a broom.
Hazel and Graham Rait pictured at the top of the stairs in their home in Kettering, Northamptonshire, which last week took in a furry, uninvited guest
Retired company director Graham Rait shouted for his wife Hazel when he went to pick up what he thought was one of his grandchildren’s toys — it turned out to be a badger
Graham, a retired company director, said: ‘I was absolutely gobsmacked – Badgers are supposed to be nocturnal. He was just sitting there curled up.
‘My immediate reaction was that it was one of my grandchild’s furry toys, but then it started moving.
‘I had to persuade him out with a broom – the poor badger was absolutely stinking.
‘They are dangerous, I wouldn’t have gone near it with my hands, It was showing its teeth.
‘When I called the RSPCA, I told them that I hadn’t been drinking. I was worried they wouldn’t believe me.’
The woodland animal had curled itself up at the top of the stairs when Mr Rait spotted it, before Mrs Rait fetcher her camera to document the creature’s unannounced visit
Mrs Rait said: ‘When I heard Graham shouting, I didn’t know what he was trying to tell me so of course I was worried’
The badger is believed to have snuck into the couple’s home after they left their back door open for their Labrador, Pepper, to get back into the house.
Hazel, a retired teacher, 73, had been sitting in the kitchen of the couple’s converted Roman barnhouse, where they have lived for 34 years, when the badger ran into the house behind her.
She said: ‘I must’ve heard it going up the stairs but I thought I was our dog. I heard this thump thump, thump He left grime all up the stairs.
‘When I heard Graham shouting, I didn’t know what he was trying to tell me so of course I was worried.
‘I went to the bottom of the stairs and there it was. I couldn’t believe it!
‘The last thing I expected to see at the top of the stairs was a badger.
‘I didn’t even know they could climb stairs.’
After managing to shoo the animal downstairs with a broom, the badger made a beeline for Graham’s garage – where it hid and refused to come out.
Relieved to have the beast out of the house, Graham called the RSPCA – and inspectors came to remove the badger.
The badger made a beeline for Graham’s garage – where it hid and refused to come out. Mr Rait decided it was time to call the RSPCA
The couple say that not long after they called the RSPCA a man arrived to take the badger away and warned them not to approach any stray badgers in future
Graham added: ‘The man from the RSPCA said he had never heard of a badger coming into someone’s house before and that it was very unusual.
‘He also reminded us how dangerous badgers can be – he told us that one of his colleagues had lost two fingers to a badger that he had mistaken for dead.’
‘We ought to keep the door shut more, but I never thought we’d have to worry about a badger breaking in.’
The couple say that not long after they called the RSPCA a man arrived to take the badger away and warned them not to approach any stray badgers in future.
An RSPCA spokesman said: ‘We are very grateful to the gentleman for contacting us, as the badger was suffering a great deal.’
Sadly the badger was later put to sleep for an infected.