'Deadly scorpion' found in Grantham street made of plastic Published duration 28 March 2018

image copyright RSPCA image caption It has now taken pride of place in the RSPCA van used by animal collection officer Paula Jones

A "deadly-looking" scorpion found in the street turned out to be a plastic toy, the RSPCA has said.

Members of the public called the charity, describing what sounded like a potentially lethal Indian red scorpion sitting on a pavement in Grantham.

They covered it with a plastic bowl and cordoned off the area until animal collection officer Paula Jones arrived.

But, Ms Jones said, she "didn't know whether to laugh or cry" when the creature's true nature became apparent.

"I was nervous when I arrived," she said.

"The callers were really concerned about the public's safety, so they put a plastic bowl over it and used cones to cordon off the area."

'Thought it was dead'

However, when Ms Jones and a colleague slid the scorpion into a clear container and it fell on its back they realised it was not moving.

"As it fell on its back we thought it was dead, and then we noticed it was actually a plastic toy," she said.

The RSPCA inspector did end up staging a rescue of sorts, however, and the ersatz arachnid was rehomed.

"Cecil the scorpion is now my van buddy and keeps me company on the road," she said.

The charity said it deals with a number of reports each year involving potentially dangerous spiders, lizards and scorpions, which may have come to the UK in fruit boxes or inside luggage.

"Some types of scorpions are highly venomous making them potentially very dangerous," Ms Jones said.

The incident in Grantham happened on Grey Friars last Thursday.

image copyright RSPCA image caption Members of the public put a bowl on top of the "deadly-looking" creature after it was found by a child