Coronation Street’s Jack P Shepherd terrified as ‘massive’ rat jumps out of his bin and attacks his neck
CORONATION Street’s Jack P Shepherd has a terrifying attack of the rodent kind.
The actor – who is best known for playing David Platt in Coronation Street – lives in Manchester with his girlfriend Hanni Treweek.
Jack, 32, was just trying to get some domestic duties done by taking the bins out, when a rat a jumped out of one of them onto his neck.
He described the disgusting incident on the podcast Sofa Cinema Club hosted by his co-stars Colson Smith and Ben Price.
Jack recalled: “A rat attacked me. I was putting the bins out on Sunday night. I’ve told you before about the infestation of the rats in my area.
“It was night time, about half 10/ 11 o’clock at night. I’m privileged enough to say I have two black wheelie bins. They are just there at the house I rent.
“I had my big slippers on. I was pulling the wheelie bins out and as I’m dragging them up the street there must have been a rat in the bin.
“So the movement of me pulling the wheelie bins has disturbed him. He’s gone to leap out of the bin and he’s jumped on my f***ing neck! Behind my neck.”
Jack described what happened next: “He sort of slithered down my body, and sort of rolled onto the floor.
“A great, fat, b******d rat. Massive. Slimy. He’d been in the bin.
“He jumped, hit the neck, and might have hurt himself on the back of my neck because he rolled down my body for an eternity before he landed on the floor.”
Asked if Jack made a noise, he said: “Yeah. I didn’t know what it was at first, I thought someone was tapping me on the shoulder it was that big.
“It was terrifying.
“He ran off through someone’s garden. The bin lid was open a bit because the bin bag didn’t quite go in.”
The hosts asked him if he managed to get to sleep after the scary encounter: “Yeah I was. I took all my clothes off and had to get a shower.”
Jack’s experience comes as a plague of starving “cannibal” rats have been invading homes through toilets by swimming up drains in a hunt for food.
The hungry and aggressive rodents have even been eating each other to survive after restaurants closed in lockdown.
With Britain’s high streets shut and less discarded food on the streets, the vermin have turned elsewhere.
More than half of UK rat catchers have reported a spike in rodent activity since lockdown restrictions began in March, the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) said.
And some rodents, measuring up to 18-inches in length, are said to be engaged in “rat wars” as they gather together in “colonies” and attempt to take over rival turf.
Jack lives with his girlfriend Hanni Treweek in a gorgeous Manchester flat as they have isolated together during the coronavirus pandemic.
The couple moved into the new pad together last summer after 14 months of dating and it seems they have now made the place their own.
Jack was previously living with Colson, who plays Craig Tinker on Corrie, in a swanky Manchester flat before moving in with Hanni.
A source close to the couple said at the time: “Jack and Hanni are officially living together now. They’ve been dating over a year, and it felt like the right time for them.”
Jack’s girlfriend Hanni once made a cameo in the soap herself before they began seeing each other.
The pair “love” being housemates, as well as lovers, because they spend every minute laughing when they are together.
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The insider added: “They love being around each other and don’t stop laughing when they’re together.”
Since Corrie filming was called to a halt due to coronavirus, Jack has been spending his days building Lego.
Jack and Hanni confirmed they were dating in December 2017, following his split from fiancee Lauren Shippey after 15 years together.
The Corrie star is a dad to three children – Greyson, Nyla and Reuben – who often spend time around his house.