INTERESTING ARTICLE IN BRITISH NEWSPAPER

BELOW IS AN ARTICLE FORWARDED TO ME BY MY FELLOW BLOGGER, MONICA SMITH, ORIGINALLY FROM THE UK. EVEN THOUGH SCORPIONS AREN'T INSECTS, I THOUGHT IT WAS WEIRD ENOUGH TO BE INCLUDED IN MY BUG BLOG. THE SCORPION IN THE ARTICLE LOOKED A LOT LIKE OUR NATIVE BROWN SCORPIONS THAT WE FIND IN THE HOUSE OCCASIONALLY AND HAVE TO KEEP THE CATS AWAY FROM! THANKS TO MONICA FOR SENDING IT TO ME. THIS WAS FROM THE "HARROWGATE ADVERTISER".

Exotic discovery in Harrogate street
The scorpion was found in the Mayfield Grove area. (S)

Published Date: 13 September 2010
A POLICE wildlife officer in Harrogate is asking for the public's help to trace the journey of a scorpion found in the town
The two-inch long scorpion was discovered in the Mayfield Grove area of Harrogate on Thursday, September 2. It was handed into the local police station by the member of the public who found it.The creature was already dead when officers took it into their charge, but they would like to know how a species that is native to North Africa or the Middle East, and is more at home in desert regions, came to be on a road in northern England.PC Gareth Jones, Harrogate's wildlife officer, 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." Anyone who saw the wee beast before Thursday, September 2 is asked to contact PC Gareth Jones at Harrogate Police Station on 0845 60 60 24 7.