Squirrel Goes Nuts In Hartlepool Home

14 January 2014, 16:48 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A squirrel in Hartlepool caused thousands of pounds worth of damage after falling down a chimney.

Margaret Bousfield said that, in its efforts to escape, the squirrel ransacked her living room by clawing the curtains, soiling the carpets and ruining a sofa.

After tumbling through the fireplace, the squirrel triggered the burglar alarm, leaving the 64-year-old in fear she was being robbed.

But, on coming down the stairs, she found the squirrel causing what would end up being £7,000-worth of damage.

After a neighbour came in to help, a window was opened and the squirrel made its escape.

She told the Hartlepool Mail: "The disruption was unbelievable. My first thought was 'I'll just clean this up'. I didn't realise how long the damage would take to sort.

"The squirrel was going wild but (the neighbour) managed to open a window and it was covered in dirt and it shot from the house like a bullet.''

She said she has now refurbished the room and the costs were covered by her insurance.