Fox mugs man for garlic bread

ORPINGTON, England, March 8 (UPI) -- A British man said he was shocked when a fox ran off with his garlic bread as he walked home with groceries.

Seb Baker, 29, said he was walking home from the Tesco store in Orpington, England, Monday evening when he was approached by a fox, The Sun reported Thursday.

"I turned down an alley, but when I looked round I saw it running towards me. I stopped, thinking it would run off. But the fox started circling me and then jumped up, trying to grab my shopping bag," Baker said. "I had expected it to run away. I thought a fox would be scared of a 15-stone (210-pound) man."

However, he said the fox would not stop trying to take his shopping bags.

"Eventually I opened the bag and gave it the garlic loaf. He grabbed it and ran off," Baker said.

Wildlife expert John Bryant said fox muggings are uncommon.

"Foxes are getting bolder but they are not interested in humans, they are concentrated on food," he said. "If a fox is jumping at your shopping bag you need to shout at it and chase it off, not just give it the food. The best thing to use is a water pistol."