An elderly woman has been hospitalized after suffering a “wild” rat attack while sleeping. Diana Kirk was left with shocking injuries after being discovered by her husband at 5.45am on Monday, May 9 at their home on Ringwood Road in Bingham. Please note that this article contains a graphic representation of the injuries caused.
Diana Kirk, 76, has a brain injury and is sleeping downstairs in a hospital bed. She is cared for by her husband, John Kirk, 85, along with a care team who comes to their home to help. Mr Kirk says he slept upstairs when he first heard a rat “scratch” at his feet, saying he couldn’t see it well given how dark it was, but that he was obviously a large rodent. .
Then, at about 1.30 in the morning, he noticed him again before falling asleep and waking up as usual just before 6 in the morning. When he went downstairs and checked on his wife in their living room, he saw what had happened to Diana and immediately called an ambulance, which arrived at about 8:20 a.m. The photos, which were shared with Mr. Kirk’s permission, show the extent of her injuries after the incident.
Appeal for video surveillance after newspaper robbery in the center of Nottingham – read more here.
He said: “I have never seen anything like the injuries he had – you can see how severe the photos were. It was absolutely wild. I went and knocked on the young girl’s door above the road, as she was also always getting up early and she was helping. They took Diana to the Queen’s Medical Center and she returned on Thursday night.
“There were scratches on his face, neck, hands – he tried to bite to the bone of the species. There was blood everywhere.”
The next morning, after a neighbor set a trap in the house, Mr. Kirk said the rat had been caught and trapped in a cage. While transporting him to the courtyard, Mr. Kirk said the rat went to try to bite him several times. He says a neighbor then killed the rat by shooting him four times with a pistol before he died.
Diana Kirk, 76, was attacked by a rat at her home in Bingham
“Because of my condition, my wife can’t move,” Mr Kirk continued. “Since then, I read that rats love only small babies and people who are motionless in bed like my wife. She can’t feel pain, so she wouldn’t know much about what happened. I would like people to know what can happen and to be aware of that. I found out a few days after it happened that it was building a nest in the house. “
Helen Speed is the home care manager, instead of East Knotts and Melton Mowbray, who provides care for Mr. and Mrs. Kirk in their home. She said: “A few weeks ago, another of our caregivers was in Bingham and heard a scream – there was a rat in a client’s trash can. I think this should be an ongoing problem, and I think people living nearby need to be aware of it – especially if they are vulnerable. “
First read all the biggest and best stories sign up to read our newsletters here.
Read more related articles Read more related articles
Add Comment