This cheeky fox cub was caught red handed by a stunned homeowner – as he lounged on a LILO in a back garden swimming pool.
Astonished John Barnes, 52, was woken up by a splashing sound as the cub paddled round the pool after a late night swim while relaxing on the blue inflatable.
The quality control manager quickly snapped a picture of the brazen creature before using a rake to push the lilo to the side of the inflatable pool in his back garden.
But the cub quickly turned vicious and began snapping at the wooden pole, which caused him to fall into the water.
John managed to manoeuvre it back onto the lilo and made a bridge leading from the inflatable lounger to the pool edge to allow the little fox to climb out.
John’s wife, learning development consultant Ann, 51, said it was ”a huge shock” when he saw the creature on the lilo at their home in Selsdon, Croydon.
She said: ”I was away for the weekend and John was woken up at 5am by the sound of splashing in our swimming pool, so naturally he ran down to find out what it was.
”The cub had clearly jumped in and was unable to escape, but had managed to get onto the lilo and was sitting carefully on it to avoid going back into the water.
”But when John tried to help he suddenly got very vicious and attacked the pole John was using, which meant he fell in again.
”It’s so lucky John was there, the cub probably would have died if he had stayed in the water.
”When he managed to climb out John said he was so tired he could hardly walk. He must have used up all his energy trying to escape.
”We’ve had the pool for two months and every time we’ve been in it the water has just been freezing, it looks like the little fox didn’t have much luck either.”
John, a grandfather-of-two, spotted the fox at 5am last Wednesday, in the couple’s back garden.
Ann believes the cub had come from a skulk of foxes that live on a roundabout close to their four-bedroomed home.
The kind hearted couple have now installed steps into their pool in case any other animals decide to go for a late night swim.
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