THERE was a rather unusual sight at Basingstoke hospital last week, when a dinosaur was spotted stomping around the grounds.

On the hottest day of the year so far, patient Sue Kelly decided to don the outfit to entertain staff while going through radiotherapy for breast cancer, and using the costume as a form of PPE.

The 64-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer in September last year and started chemotherapy in January.

But on March 20, the retired teacher suffered a collapsed lung during treatment and was admitted to hospital.

After spending a week in hospital, she returned home with new lockdown restrictions imposed, and was unable to leave her home.

But rather than feel sorry for herself, Sue decided to cheer herself up by wearing a dinosaur costume bought for her by a friend she met though an online support group.

The mother-of-one, who now teaches Thai chi, said: “I had an issue with my leg and wasn’t allowed to go anywhere when I came out of hospital and it would have been easy for me to sit and vegetate. Using the dinosaur costume, I could go out the front in it because it’s like wearing PPE.”

Sue set herself a target of going out once a day as a dinosaur, who she affectionately named Beryl, and has cheered herself and others up by dancing to different songs in the outfit.

She then decided to venture out further afield, and put the costume on for her radiotherapy appointments at Basingstoke hospital, saying: “I thought it would give everyone a laugh. Everyone laughs when they see Beryl the dinosaur.”

She added: “Beryl has got me out of the house. People have given me ideas for songs to dance to. It’s been great fun. It’s cheered me up and other people.

“If it wasn’t for Beryl I wouldn’t have gone out. It’s too easy to sit at home and watch TV. But knowing that for five minutes I could put Beryl on and dance, it gave me the motivation.”

Sue, who lives in Four Marks, has several more weeks of radiotherapy treatment, and hopes that once she’s finished, she will be able to wear Beryl to entertain poorly children at Basingstoke hospital.