Blackfen man 'furious' after his 1.3kg dog is picked up by fox, which tried to run off with it

On November 19 at 6.15pm Colin and Sharon Broadbent, of Burnt Oak Lane, let their miniature Yorkshire Terrier, Gizmo, into their back garden to do his business.

Within seconds a fox, which had been lurking in the shadows, scooped Gizmo up in its jaws and attempted to make an escape.

Mr Broadbent, 51, said: "My wife let him out and she was standing by the door. He walked to the back of the garden.

"The fox approached from nowhere and took him in his mouth. 

"I ran out there with - you know the great big pole that holds the washing line up - I ran out there with that, shouting.

"All I heard when the fox had the dog was the dog whimpering.

"He has either dropped him because I was shouting, making a noise, or when he was climbing over the fence he may have dropped him.

"The dog scampered back past me and went inside the house.

"It really shook us up. He is part of the family, we have had him for eight years.

"He was shaking and shaking and shaking."

Gizmo was immediately taken to the vet, where he was treated for a puncture wound to the forehead, two minor punctures on the back legs and a bleeding tail.

He has since made a good recovery, however he is too scared to go back in the garden.

Train driver Mr Broadbent said: "There is definitely a den of foxes in our back garden. There is not just one fox, there are several.

"There are people in the houses at the rear that are actually feeding them. That is why they never leave.

"They are pretty brazen. They just sit and sunbath in my garden. Unless you shout at them they just sit there.

"They are not really scared, put it that way."

He added: "I am furious really, I think something should be done about them.

"Now I can't let my dog out in the garden."