A team of roofers discovered one of the world's deadliest scorpions - in a box of tiles.

Jamie Cooke, 30, and his workers spotted the highly venomous yellow Brazilian arachnid while on a job in Devon.

The scorpion - Tityus serrulatus - had been transported all the way from South America to Plymouth.

It carries an extremely toxic venom and is the most dangerous scorpion in South America and is responsible for the most fatal cases of scorpion bites.

Jamie, who runs Ocean City Roofing Ltd, said: "We had no idea it was so dangerous - thank goodness we didn't to be honest.''

Jamie's brother, Ben Cooke, discovered the scorpion while opening a pallet which contained 600 tiles on July 23.

Jamie said: "We were all on the job, I had all the lads there and my brother emptied out this pallet - where he saw a scorpion scurry under some slate.

"So we all jumped down to give him a hand to empty the pallets to not hurt the little thing, and managed to put it in a tub."

He explained how one of his friends knew the owner of a local reptile centre and after speaking to them was told to get the scorpion over 'immediately' and 'not to touch it'.

Jamie added: "So I drove it down there straight away.

"The scorpion wasn't wasn't that big, the guy said it would have stung if it was older - and it wasn't a baby but not fully grown either.

"Me and the team are pretty relieved - I've never seen anything like that before and I hope I don't again!"

The scorpion is now being cared for at Plymouth Reptile and Aquatic.