A man viciously assaulted in Deptford is backing a petition to save grey squirrels, after the animals helped him manage his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Charlie Oughton, a journalist, was enjoying a night out in Covent Garden after celebrating securing a book deal in November 2017.

It was 4am when he stepped off a bus in Deptford High Street before a gang of youths attacked him.

"I was wearing a flamboyant hat," Charlie, 39, recalled to News Shopper.

"They grabbed it off and punched and kicked me. I was then stamped on the head and I was left lying in the middle of Deptford High Street."

Charlie now lives with metal plates in his arm after suffering a badly broken wrist.

When he returned from the hospital hours later, an interaction with a squirrel aided his recovery.

Charlie had started going to a gym before sitting in the nearby churchyard for some peace and quiet.

One squirrel, now named Kate, always crept closer than the others, and the day after the assault she surprised Charlie by sitting on his knee.

Charlie was at the graveyard after retracing his steps from his beating, knowing that hiding indoors would spiral his anxiety.

"She seemed to understand that I needed a friend," Charlie laughed.

He said he was still learning to cope with the post-traumatic stress, but he now regularly goes to parks and graveyards to care for squirrels.

That involves making sure nobody is hurt and educating people who might be harming them.

He explained: "They are lovely and cute to watch, but if you try and grab them they will run. You need to be very quiet, it teaches you about animal respect, and you should never feed them chips."

Charlie recommended offering them avocado, something he said they love.

More than 26,000 people have signed a petition to make grey squirrels exempt from the 2019 Alien Species Order.

The order, introduced through Brexit, would mean injured grey squirrels would not be allowed to be treated by a vet.

Charlie said: "This petition allows vets to care for animals. They are trying to get rid of grey squirrels because of their colour.

"I have never had one bite me. With the pace of modern life, having an animal is proven to calm us down.

"Don’t ask vets to be inhumane. Killing one species to save red squirrels is just cruelty and doesn’t work."

Charlie has names for the squirrels in the graveyard he visits, including Kate, Spike and Abigail.

He said they all have different personalities and that if he calls one of their names on arrival, they will come out to greet him.

"Kate likes cuddles and is very quiet," he added. "Spike is a little punk rocker and jumps over my head when I’m giving him food, and Abigail is soppy if she isn’t fed first."

Charlie is a writer for Real Crime Magazine and is soon publishing a book about Stephen King's hit novel IT.

More information on urban squirrels can be found here.