A shopper stumbled across something exotic on a trip to his local supermarket last week - and it wasn't a new range of fruit.

Instead Trevor Campbell discovered a live scorpion when searching for a ripe bunch of bananas in the Station Road branch of Somerfield.

Trevor, from Birchanger Road, South Norwood, had nipped to the store for some supplies last Monday. But he got a surprise when he found the potentially deadly arachnid at home in the fruit section.

"I picked up one bunch of bananas and then another and suddenly I saw something move and it was a big scorpion," he explained.

"I called the security guard over and he gave me a plastic box to put it in. He said he couldn't get in touch with the RSPCA so I ended up having to take it to the police station. All the customers were screaming."

Trevor's neighbour Ellen Wilkinson, who was also in the store doing her shopping at the time, said she was so scared of the arachnid she had to ditch her plans to buy fruit altogether.

"When I walked in I saw people gathering around the bananas so I walked over and I could see the tail and knew it was a scorpion. I walked up gingerly and huddled behind Trevor to see the action.

"I think Trevor and the security guard were insanely brave. I tried to buy a packet of bananas after everything had calmed down and I just couldn't bring myself to do it," she laughed.

But the insect was no match for Trevor who said he did not feel in the slightest bit afraid.

"I'm not frightened," he laughed, "I'm from Jamaica and they have loads of them over there."

He added: "I know if they stung someone they can be deadly so I did want to get it out of the way. I think it must have crawled into the banana box at source and then been shipped over."

Trevor said when he arrived at the police station the officers appeared "quite excited" by the latest arrival.

A spokesman for Somerfield said the company was looking into the complaint.

"We are currently investigating where the arachnid came from and how it came to be in the bag although it is likely that it travelled with the bananas.

"Our suppliers have a strict code of practice in place for the control of potentially harmful pests, and we are happy with the rigorous procedures used to ensure the best condition of our fresh produce."