Danielle in park rat attack ordeal

ATTACKED . . young Danielle with mum Zoe

MUM Zoe Taggart is warning parents to be on guard after her three-year-old daughter was attacked by a rat in Alexandra Park.

Zoe was enjoying a day out in with her twins, Danielle and Kyle Keegan, a friend and her two children.

The youngsters were walking behind the adults when the rodent appeared from a drain and attacked Danielle.

It scratched her foot before being frightened off by the screaming children.

The incident happened on a boating lake bridge on Friday afternoon and a shocked Zoe said: “It came out of a grid, ran towards us and scratched my little girl. It was like a cat, it was huge.

“I took her to one of the wardens, they sent me to a first aider who told me to go to the walk-in centre. Danielle was hysterical and she wouldn’t let me put her down until we got to the car.

“Luckily the scratch did not break the surface of the skin and the nurse said there was not much to worry about, just to keep an eye on her for 24 hours. If it had broken the skin the nurse said she would have been in hospital for a few days.”

Oldham’s parks boss Steve Smith has contacted Zoe and environmental health officers will investigate the area.

He said: “I just hope the mum and the little one are OK and it doesn’t put them off going to the park.”