A newlywed was hospitalised the day before her honeymoon after being left blooded and in hospital after a vicious attack - by an anti-social magpie.
Amanda Doyle, 36, had the start of her romantic getaway ruined after the predatory bird swooped on her as she collected her son from nursery - and it seems she's not the only victim.
The "evil" magpie pounced on her and nearly attacked her three-year-old son Ronan, circling him outside the preschool on Tuesday, in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
It pecked Amanda's head repeatedly until her scalp started bleeding and has preyed on other people in the area, including getting in a car and refusing to leave.
The mum-of-two, from Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, went to Hairmyres Hospital for treatment.
She is due to leave for her honeymoon to Cyprus on Wednesday but will need to wear a sunhat as her head is so sensitive following the frightening attack.
Amanda said: “It looked so evil, the fear was so bad I couldn’t move. I am scared to go outside if I'm honest.
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“It held on to my head like a hat and pecked like mad. It bounced off my back, then my face around 10 times, then it grabbed my head before flying away.
“It came back and circled my son, then came for me again.
“A man hit it but then it came back and got in my head really bad.
“I am scared it will remember me, I’m going on my honeymoon tomorrow to Cyprus but I am so sore and upset.”
Amanda was saved after a stranger stepped in and help swat the beast away.
She is now warning people to stay away from the area or be on alert if they are nearby.
Amanda had to have a tetanus jab and the wound deep cleaned when she was treated in hospital.
She said: "The hospital went well, I was seen within two hours. I had to get a tetanus jag and a deep clean.
"The cut is not massive. But I'm so scared because if the stranger didn't step in it would have been worse."
The magpie is said to have preyed on people in the area in previous weeks.
Another woman, Elaine McIntyre, added: "The magpie is definitely causing a lot of distress for locals.
"I use the car park a lot as I charge my electric car there and was trapped in the car just over a week ago as it wouldn't get out of the car."
