'Mice run round everywhere in my hospital ward'

A hospital patient has been left disgusted after repeatedly seeing mice running around in his ward.

Daniel Hendron, 32, who is being treated for a leg infection at Walsall Manor Hospital, has been there for about a week.

Mr Hendron, from Walsall, says the rodents are keeping him awake because they are too noisy, with nursing staff telling him they have been reporting the problem since last month.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said it has increased cleaning in affected areas and wanted to reassure patients, visitors and staff its pest control measures were in place.

Mr Hendron said he was absolutely exhausted and "for some reason they took a shine and keep coming by my bed".

"I'm sorry, I don't sleep next to mice and when I've a leg infected, I expect a clean ward," he continued.

"One of the videos that I've posted... you can hear a mouse screeching. It's impossible to get sleep.

"[The staff] know about the mouse situation, yet they're happy to keep infected patients on a ward full of mice."

Mr Hendron said "when I've a leg infected, I expect a clean ward"

At night the mice "come out to play", he said, and explained that he was "not talking one, two or three mice", they are "running round everywhere".

"Staff are that scared they don't come to you to bring you the meds, 'cos they're stood there in the foyer bit scared and you're having to move to them," Mr Hendron continued.

"They won't shut the curtains around your bay when you want the toilet. Instead they're grabbing people's crutches or walking frames to try and pull the curtain shut, 'cos they're too scared to be in there."

Mr Hendron said he had spoken to the nurses, but they "say there's nothing they can do".

"They've been reporting it since December and it's out of their hands," he said.

The patient is in hospital after contracting a leg infection

The NHS trust has apologised for any distress caused.

A spokesperson sought to reassure patients, visitors and staff that it had "pest control measures in place, alongside rigorous infection prevention and control processes".

"Our teams have dealt with this issue and, in addition, we have increased cleaning in the affected areas as well as checked for any potential access holes," they added.

The spokesperson said the trust was doing all it could to prevent any further incidents.

Mr Hendron said the mice "come out to play" at night, in large numbers