SLADE GREEN: Fox attack fear for youngsters (From News Shopper)

SLADE GREEN: Fox attack fear for youngsters

6:40am Friday 26th November 2010 in News

A WOMAN says she fears for the safety of small children after a fox attempted to snatch a bag of pills from her hands as she walked along the street.

Sue Buckingham, 55, says the animal leapt up at her as she carried her medicine back to her home in Willow Road, Slade Green.

She believes the fox thought the bag contained food.

Mrs Buckingham said: “I have never been afraid of any animal with four legs, but that put the fear of God in me.”

She added: “What worries me is what might have happened if it had been a baby in a buggy eating something, or a small child walking with food in its hand.”

Mrs Buckingham said she left home at lunchtime to walk to the chemist shop in nearby Forest Road.

On her way back she saw a fox sniffing around the recycling bins outside a house.

She said: “As I walked past, it jumped up at the bag of pills in my hand.

“I pulled up my hand to get the bag out of the way and then put it behind my back.

“But the fox came round behind me.”

Mrs Buckingham said: “I was forced to tuck the bag inside my coat and fold my arms across my chest to stop it from leaping up again.”

The fox then followed her all the way to her home.

She said: “I was stamping my feet at it and trying to shoo it away.”

Mrs Buckingham described the animal as having blood on its back as if it had been in a fight, but it looked well fed.

“Lots of people in the area put scraps out for the birds and the foxes.

“Maybe this one was used to being fed by hand.”

She added: “There are lots of foxes around here. I just want mums and children to be aware.”