Amy Shaw was in the process of renovating her new Essex property when the mysterious sound of scratching coming from under the floorboards caught her off guard

A woman who heard scratching noises coming from the floorboards of her property was left gobsmacked after discovering what - or who - was causing it. Amy Shaw, who is in the process of renovating her home, soon realised she wasn't alone as she got to work.

"Texting the builders this morning: we have a slight issue," she joked in a caption alongside a TikTok video that revealed her house's other occupant. Indeed, seen poking its head through a gap in between the flooring of two adjoining rooms, stood a curious fox.

"No-one prepares you for the part of adulthood where a fox is trapped beneath your floorboards," Amy admitted. The short clip has subsequently gone viral, amassing more than 4.4 million views in just five days.

Amy, who hails from Essex, later told Newsweek she was initially "scared" by the sound, but put it down to her neighbour's cat.

"I opened the back doors to help dry the plaster in the house, and soon I heard something downstairs," she explained.

Amy continued: "I thought the neighbour’s cat went down there but I couldn’t find it, so I thought I’d scared it off. I blocked the back door with a piece of board to stop it getting back in, then I turned around to see a face staring at me from under the floorboards."

In order to coax the fox out, meanwhile, Amy said she tried dog food - only to learn the animal had in fact become stuck and was in distress.

Fortunately, she received advice from her builder who informed her there was a loose floorboard under their equipment, which she was able to move, allowing the fox to escape.

Amy closed by revealing the episode has made her stop to consider the impact we have on wildlife habitat.

"Even though I don’t want a fox in my house, it did make me think that our gardens are their homes too," she said. "I think people loved the video because we have a soft spot for wildlife, and even simple things like hedgehog highways, bird feeders or planting flowers can make a huge difference."

Writing in response to Amy's video, one TikTok user said: "I would not be texting the builders about a problem, I would be texting my husband about our new pet."

A second person asked: "Can I ask what company you used for your extension? I'd like a fox with mine too."

A third declared: "New house plus a new pet... I feel like this is a win."

And a fourth TikTok user said: "This is adorable! He's come to ask you how long all this is going to take! He was hoping his roof would be finished by now!"