A gardener found a highly poisonous caterpillar dining out on his precious roses.

While he was deheading the flowers at his Folkestone home he discovered what appears to be a brown-tail moth caterpillar.

He said: "I didn't have gloves on so it's lucky I didn't grab it with my bare hands.

"I hope there isn't an infestation. I'm worried what will happen if a child touches one of these grisly little beasts.

"I've taken it out of my garden with a spade and put it in some bushes."

According to the Butterfly Conservation, there has been a huge rise in the numbers of brown-tail moth caterpillars since 2019.

They strip the leaves of trees and bushes before going to find something else to eat.

They are dark brown with orangey hairs with white tufts down their sides. They have two orange warts on the back.

They have a mass of tiny barbed hairs which can get under the skin and cause a nettle-like rash.

If you get a rash after touching one you should apply antihistamine cream or calamine lotion and seek medical help if the symptoms don't subside after a few hours.

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