Flesh eating bug nearly kills Littlehampton man

A gardener was left moments from death after catching a flesh eating bug from a piece of manure falling into his boot.

Nicholas Macartney, 36, of Littlehampton, had just returned to work after recovering from a kidney transplant, when bacteria in the manure started rotting away his flesh after getting into his body through a small wound on his foot.

Within 48 hours he was in hospital fighting for his life after being diagnosed with the flesh-eating bug necrotising fasciitis(COR).

He said: I was told if they didnt operate on me now I would be dead within half an hour.

That was very scary. I was in intensive care and went back to theatre about five times.

I was on a life-support machine having dialysis when unconscious.

Rotting muscle and skin was removed from his right leg in an effort to stop the infection, and skin had to be grafted from his left leg on to the affected limb.

He said: It was like an agonising pain that would not go away, and no amount of painkillers would knock it. You cannot understand how a microscopic amount of dirt can carry so much harmful bacteria.