When the BBC asked for help in finding a mate for rare left coiled snail, Jeremy, it was hoped he would eventually produce 'lefty' offspring.

Jeremy's shell coiled to the left instead of the right - making him one very rare gastropod.

At first things looked promising and after a successful appeal by the Today programme, mates were uncovered by a snail enthusiast in Ipswich and a snail farmer in Majorca and sent off to the University of Nottingham.

But, instead of mating with Jeremy, the two 'lefty' snails decided to mate with each other and all 170 of their babies are right-coiled.