The wintry weather might have stopped some getting out of bed this morning, but not this hardy creature which made a surprise appearance in a snow-covered Rainham garden.

The peacock butterfly was found flying around in sub-zero conditions in The Maltings, where bed and breakfast owner Pam Penfold decided to offer it a warm room.

Although peacock butterflies hibernate over winter in sheltered spaces, Mrs Penfold said she was surprised to find the colourful critter fluttering around outside.

"It's still alive actually, and it's in the house somewhere now," she said.

"I brought it in and put it in an ice cream container because I didn't think it would survive outside for long in the cold.

"It was very active. We were out the front putting up decorations. I caught it and put it in the box, and put some honey in the box, and a flower.

"I didn't know if it was getting enough air, so I opened the box and it flew out.

"I wondered if it was something unusual because it's been sub-zero temperatures for days.

"It was about -1C in the garden today."

It comes as the county was hit by heavy snow and icy conditions, with temperatures expected to plunge again tonight.

A severe weather warning for ice is in place until 11am tomorrow.

While peacock butterflies are known to hibernate, could the cold snap have prompted some to seek alternative shelter?

A statement from Kent Wildlife Trust said: "Warmth will trigger butterflies out of hibernation from a spot that they would have chosen possibly some weeks ago. If they hibernated by a boiler for instance, and someone turns on the central heating it could trigger them to wake up and move somewhere else. Similarly, if they picked a spot that is now too wet that might also cause them to wake up.

"A butterfly will really struggle to warm itself-up, most insects need the sun for that, so it probably won’t survive long being awake in this weather. They are very good at surviving through the winter assuming they can find a dry, sheltered area with a consistent temperature that follows the seasonal variation.