LONDON (Reuters) - A squirrel is spreading terror in a Cheshire town where it keeps attacking people.

Its latest victim was a two-year-old girl, British newspapers reported on Thursday.

Children have been attacked, grown men chased and residents of Knutsford, central England, are fearful of letting their kids out to play, the Times newspaper said.

The rogue squirrel's latest attack was on toddler Kelsi Morley who was bitten on the forehead.

"It was awful because she (Kelsi) was spinning around and we couldn't get it off," her mother told the newspaper.

"From the amount of blood there was, I thought it had taken Kelsi's eye out."

The squirrel eventually let go and the terrified youngster was rushed to a doctor.

Colin Booty, a senior scientific officer in the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said it was very unusual for a squirrel to behave like this.

Local resident Blanche Kellye said the problem was not funny. "Everyone round here is living in fear...it's a vicious little thing. I'll never trust squirrels again."

LONDON (Reuters) - A squirrel which terrorized a British town by attacking people has been shot and killed by the grandfather of its latest victim.

Geoff Horth, enraged by the squirrel biting his two-year-old grand-daughter Kelsi Morley on the face, took up his airgun and hunted down the rogue rodent, the Sun newspaper said on Friday.

"When I tracked him down I was surprised how big he was. He came down a tree and headed for me, but I shot him before he jumped," the 61-year-old school caretaker told the newspaper.

The bad-tempered squirrel's reign of terror in the town of Knutsford in central England had made parents frightened to let their children out to play.

Animal experts say it is very unusual for squirrels to behave in such an aggressive way toward humans.

Horth was philosophical about his role as gun-totting local hero. "Its a shame he went nuts, but I couldn't let this little beggar hold the town to ransom," he told the newspaper.