Sly visitor outfoxes security to reach MP's office
George FreemanA cunning fox managed to outwit security and find its way to an MP's office on the fourth floor of a Westminster building.
The furry visitor was discovered inside the office of George Freeman, Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk, in Portcullis House on Monday morning.
To reach the room, the adventurous animal had to sneak past security, navigate four flights of stairs and a "maize of rooms and corridors".
The fox has since been relocated to Victoria Tower Gardens, a public park nearby. Freeman said: "His dedication to the morning commute is highly impressive."
George FreemanFreeman's parliamentary assistant discovered the fox about 45 minutes after he had first entered the room during a team call with the MP, who was in his Norfolk constituency at the time.
Upon finding the fox hiding in the stationary cupboard, his assistant offered it water before it was escorted off the premises by the Houses of Parliament pest control team.
"London is full of foxes and you occasionally see them on the parliamentary estate but on the fourth floor of an MP's office in the stationary cupboard is a first," Freeman said.
"How it got into my office is completely puzzling."
George FreemanThe MP, who has previously criticised the fox hunting ban and whose grandfather was a huntsman, said he did not think his furry visitor had an ulterior motive.
But he suspected the animal may have been stuck in his office over the weekend and might have followed cleaners through the building before hiding there.
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The London Wildlife Trust estimates that there are 10,000 foxes in the capital and they are often seen roaming the streets of the capital at night, rummaging through bins for food.
Foxes are known to be curious creatures and are known to explore people's homes and other buildings.
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