Caterpillars put street on allergy alert

In the latest incident, residents of West Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, have been forced to stay indoors or wear protective body suits and face masks to avoid coming into contact with tiny hairs shed by the brown tail moth caterpillars.

The insects have set up home in an isolated plot of land next to gardens in the street which has become overgrown.

Steve Gardner, of Island Pest Control, has been called in to eliminate the caterpillars.

He said his company had dealt with an increasing number of infestations as the climate had become warmer in the past five years.

He said: "It's a problem on the Isle of Wight and the Hampshire area and it has been getting worse slowly.

"Normally these insects settle in fields where they do not do anyone any harm but if they are close to houses they travel from garden to garden causing problems.

"As the caterpillar grows it sheds its skin and the tiny hairs float in the air and can cause a severe skin reaction."