Fox rips off baby's boy's finger in south-east London

Four-week old Denny Dolan was  attacked by a fox in south London. He had been sleeping in his cot when his mother in an adjacent room heard screaming at which point she ran through to find Denny had been dragged from his cot by a fox which had his hand in its mouth.

She scared the animal away and Debby was taken to hospital when his injuries were treated, surgeons re-attaching his finger in a three-hour operation.

He has since been moved from the high dependency unit to a ward and is making a good recovery.

In the wake of this new attack, London Mayor Boris Johnson has called on the capital’s borough leaders to do more to combat foxes, which are pests.

“We must do more to tackle the growing problem of urban foxes,” Johnson told the BBC.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “Local authorities and animal welfare organisations have been advising residents o ways to make their homes and back gardens less attractive to foxes. These can include repellents and making sure that food waste is always disposed of ion secure, lidded bins and containers.

“Residents should always be careful when leaving doors and windows open.”