A three-month-old baby was left with four bloody puncture wounds to her head after a fox entered her family's home through an open back door and attacked her while her mother had dozed off during a feed. Carly Clarkson, 37, from Watford, discovered her daughter Josephine covered in blood after waking to find the fox sniffing her face, and rushed her to hospital. The incident, which was captured on CCTV showing the fox creeping through the back garden beforehand, has left the family shaken and raises concerns about foxes becoming increasingly bold around residential homes.

Josephine was taken to Watford General Hospital, where doctors confirmed no skull fractures or brain concerns, though she needed tetanus shots and antibiotics; her mother believes the sleeping position may have spared her face or an artery. Ms Clarkson reported the attack to Watford Borough Council, which could only offer £300 fox-deterrent pellets, and has since contacted The Fox Project for help. Trevor Williams of The Fox Project said such attacks are extremely rare, with none recorded in over a decade, and suggested the culprit was likely an inexperienced young cub during the annual dispersal season rather than a typical adult fox.