AN investigation has been carried out after an elderly woman was allegedly bitten by a rat as she slept in a York care home.

Pamela Hudson, 75, was left covered in blood after the incident at Glen Lodge care home in Heworth.

City of York Council investigated but Mrs Hudson's daughters Jan Derry and Sallie Wilkinson say they have received no apology, and say they are unhappy with the council's response.

Mrs Hudson was taken to York Hospital after the incident, which happened on June 19 this year but which has only just come to light. She was later transferred to St Catherine's Nursing Home in Shipton-by-Beningbrough and died three months later, and Mrs Derry said they would never know whether the bite had contributed to her death.

A council enquiry could not determine what sort of rodent had bitten Mrs Hudson, but her daughters believe it was a rat.

Mrs Derry, from Heworth, said: "They are not admitting responsibility. They are not saying how it got in. They are shirking any responsibility.

"Since my mum died, they've got pest control at Glen Lodge.

"If you're living in sheltered accommodation and you're bed ridden, you need to be looked after.

"It shouldn't have happened, but it did. We just want people to be aware that things like this can happen."

Mrs Derry said her family were still coming to terms with what had happened to her mother.

"Obviously we are still very distressed about it, but we have come to the end of the road with it," she said.

"We have done all we can for our mum, but we are not ready to bury her ashes yet."

"There was nothing the council could do to rectify it, but we have had no apology. That was the only thing they could do.

Martin Farran, director of adult social care at City of York Council, said: “We have worked closely with, and provided support to Mrs Hudson and her family throughout the investigation into this incident.

“It is with regret that, despite extensive efforts by professional experts, environmental health and independent inspectors, we have been unable to determine the exact circumstances of how Mrs Hudson’s injuries occurred.

“Our thoughts are with Mrs Hudson’s family, who are understandably distressed by what has happened.”