[danielsan]

I have shared this story from the Leicester Mercury, my local paper. It's great for two reasons. Firstly, I used to be a Staff Nurse at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit. Secondly, it's so brilliantly random! I do not wish to be seen as mocking those with/or mental health issues, which I continue to support despite leaving mental health nursing 10 years ago.

No images with the original article, so I've added some, for artistic effect. Don't you wish Hayley didn't have a dash-cam? The footage would have been amazing!! PS- for all you American's out there, a car bonnet is British for a car hood.

Woman's high-speed horror with an escaped patient on her car bonnet

A woman has described how she drove at speeds of up to 50mph after an escaped mental health unit patient climbed on to her bonnet and would not get off.

Hayley Newbold, 26, was terrified when the woman jumped onto her car as she drove home alone in the early hours of Sunday.

She spotted her at the side of the road and slowed down believing her to be in distress.

Panicking and frightened, Hayley pleaded with the woman to get off the car and gradually built up her speed.

However, the woman managed to cling on, despite the car weaving and reaching a speed of almost 50mph.

It happened as she drove along Groby Road, Leicester at 1am.

The woman had been reported missing from the Bradgate mental health unit at Glenfield Hospital a few hours earlier.

As Hayley approached Gilroes Cemetery, heading away from the city, she noticed a woman at the side of the road.

Hayley, who lives in the area, said: "I slowed down as the person seemed very indecisive about what to do.

"I was unsure whether she wanted to cross the road or wait for me to pass.

"Then she started running into the middle of the road.

"I thought she was flagging me down for help, so I slowed right down, almost coming to a full stop,

"But then I noticed how angry she looked. So I went to drive around her, but she launched herself on my car.

"She was hissing at me, and showing me her teeth, smacking the window screen, and pulling my window wipers.

"I tried braking quite harsh, but she wasn't coming off my vehicle.

"I then tried speeding up, getting to about 50mph, and swerving from left to right, but nothing was getting her off my car.

"I was hysterically screaming at her, slapping my front screen asking her to get off my car.

"She went on to hiss and spit at me, now swinging from my aerial.

"I did not know what to do."

A taxi driver who was travelling behind came to her rescue when Hayley pulled over. The driver got out and pulled the woman – who appeared to be drunk – from her car.

Hayley added: "The woman who was on my car got up and ran. I was then taken home by the kind taxi man.

"It was a horrifying experience, really horrible."

Police were due to speak to Hayley today (TUES) to take her statement.

A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said: "Officers attended the scene and established it was a woman who had been reported missing the previous evening.

"She was not physically injured and has been taken back to hospital."

Nobody from theLeicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, which runs the Bradgate unit, was available to comment.

[spudigitti]

[Kelseecat65]

@the last photo!!!

[petedeamon]

....should have told her they were serving "COCO PUFFS" at the institution.