Mystery as exotic scorpion found on Harrogate street

Wildlife Officer Pc Gareth Jones said the 2in-long beast was found on Thursday in the Mayfield Grove area of the town by a member of the public who handed it into the local police station.

The creature was already dead by the time the police received it.

Pc Jones said: "Although I haven't managed to identify the exact species of scorpion yet, I do know that it is not one commonly traded in pet shops across the country.

"It may well have been a stowaway in a consignment of fruit or hitched a lift with someone who may have inadvertently brought it back following a foreign trip."

The officer asked anyone who can help to get in touch with Harrogate Police Station.