Squirrel terrorises Brighton artist on 13th floor balcony

Amanda Thompson, from Brighton, described the moment she heard the "tip-taps" of a squirrel on her 13th floor balcony in St. James’s House.

She told The Argus how the cheeky critter has been digging up her plants and wreaking havoc on her balcony.

Amanda Thompson (Image: Amanda Thompson)

Amanda said: "I was drawing, quietly minding my own business when I heard this weird noise on my balcony.

"I assumed it was a pigeon but then I saw something out the corner of my eye.

"My balcony door was open and when I turned, I was face to face with a squirrel."

Amanda Thompson's balcony (Image: Amanda Thompson)

The 53-year-old said that since the first sighting at the start of June, the rodent has paid several visits to her 13th floor haven.

She added: "It keeps leaving me little peanuts when it zooms all around my balcony.

"It breaks bits off my plants and my dad planted a little seedling for a tree when he came down a few weeks ago, but the squirrel dug that up."

The squirrel scaling the cladding on her flats (Image: Amanda Thompson)

The artist has had to take drastic measures to protect her beloved plants. "I've had to put a little fence around my oak tree," she said.

Amanda, who has lived in her flat for the last 20 years, was not able to keep her door open for fear the pesky animal could make a return to her balcony overnight.

"I can't leave my door open at night because I really don't want the squirrel coming in."

She told The Argus how the squirrel has made itself at home on her balcony. She said: "It sits on my bench sometimes, and you see it sometimes parading around on the roof of the flats as if it surveying its kingdom."