The puncture marks on Lolly’s arm caused by the rat bite

Published: 15 November, 2012
by TOM FOOT

TRAPS have been set down by Camden Council and a sewer system in Somers Town is being checked after a baby was bitten by a rat as she lay sleeping in a cot.

Lindsey Molyneux, 30, rushed her 16-month daughter to casualty after discovering bite holes in little Lolly’s arm on Sunday night.

Ms Molyneux, who lives in Oakshott Court in Polygon Road, said: “They [her daughters] were asleep in their cots when Lolly woke screaming. There was blood gushing everywhere from these puncture holes. We couldn’t understand what had happened. We were stumped.”

The “foot-long” rat is believed to have entered the home through a window and Ms Molyneux’s husband took footage of it scampering around as it tried to escape.

Camden Council said there were no signs of an infestation but Ms Molyneux added: “We don’t really understand how it has got in but we can’t live here with two babies while that is about. We don’t want to be here in case it happens again.”

Lolly spent five hours in the University College Hospital casualty. Yesterday (Wednesday), a GP reassured Ms Molyneux there was no sign of infection.

The story has strange echoes of Robert Browning’s poem, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, which opens: “Rats! They fought the dogs and killed the cats, And bit the babies in the cradles.”

Camden Council’s community safety chief Cllr Abdul Hai said: “This is a horrible situation for any parent to face. Remedial measures have been taken by our officer within the property in case the rodent returns. In the meantime, we are putting rat traps around the estate and checking the estate’s drainage system.”