Ankle-biting FERRET went on hour-long rampage through block of flats I tried to shoo it away, but it just kept going for me and going for me Traumatised woman left with bite marks after hour-long assault by ferret Rodent attacked several other residents as well as an RSPCA officer No-one has come forward to claim ownership of ferret, nicknamed 'Fred' A runaway rodent went on the rampage when he bared his teeth and attacked several victims in a block of flats - one of whom was terrorised for nearly an hour. Merrell Smith, 46, has relieved her upsetting ordeal at the hands of the 8ins-tall creature nicknamed 'Fred', when he started snapping at her feet and biting her ankles at her home in Nottinghamshire yesterday. When her neighbour at the flats in Chilwell tried to intervene, Fred sank his teeth into him too, before attacking at least one other victim. Savage: This rodent, nicknamed Fred, went on the rampage at a block of flats yesterday when he bit three people Trauma: Merrell Smith (left), 46, was terrorised by the escaped rodent nicknamed Fred (right) for more than an hour at her home in Nottinghamshire His unprovoked attack was only brought to an end when the snarling creature was lured into a cat box with a piece of ham. Eyewitnesses said the rodent, famed for being stuffed down the trousers of hardy Yorkshiremen, appeared out of nowhere. Ms Smith said: 'I heard my neighbour calling me and when I opened the door there was this ferret, outside my door running around. I was talking to my neighbour about what to do when it just literally went for me. I tried to shoo it away but it just kept going for me and going for me. This went on for about an hour or so. It just kept trying to bite me. It was horrible and my ankle is painful to walk on. Ms Smith suffered several puncture wounds and was treated by paramedics for bite injuries at the scene. She will also need a tetanus jab from her GP to ensure she is not infected. Nasty: The puncture wounds left by her attacker on her ankle. Ms Smith will require a tetanus jab Rampage: The flats at Ribblesdale Court in Nottinghamshire, where Fred carried out his unprovoked attack Stephen Hornby, 24, finally caught Fred over an hour after he was first spotted by placing a piece of ham inside a cat carrier. He said: 'I searched on the internet and it just said a box and a bit of food might work. 'I walked up the stairs to a neighbour's flat to borrow her cat box and it followed up the stairs after me.' Police, an ambulance and RSPCA officers were called to the scene to tackle the creature. Despite being trapped in the cat box, Fred still managed to claim one last victim when he bit an RSPCA officer who had come to take him away. Safe hands: The snarling creature even managed to bit the RSPCA officer who was sent to catch him. Pictured her with care assistant Caroline Parker Lee Pidgeon, who witnessed the incident, said the identity of Fred's owner was a mystery. He said: 'No-one seems to have any idea who owns it. We've called it Fred the ferret.' An RSPCA spokesman said the charity was searching for Fred's owner. He said: 'The ferret did not appear to have been handled much and was not very friendly. It is currently in our care and we would appeal to anyone who has any information regarding who has lost the ferret to get in touch. East Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed it was called to treat one person who was bitten at around 10.30am on yesterday. Dangerous: He may look cute, but this ferret left three of his victims with bite wounds after his unprovoked attack