A pensioner got more than she bargained for after discovering a scorpion in her shopping bag.

bananas

bananas

Linda Pollard, 67, had returned home from a shopping trip to Aldi when she discovered the venomous creepy-crawly fall out of her plastic bag of bananas.

She said: ''I thought it was big spider as it scuttled across the work top and behind the kettle.

''I grabbed a glass then realised it was a scorpion not a spider because I have seen pictures of them in magazines and on TV. I slammed the glass down and trapped it. I was absolutely terrified.''

Linda went on to contact the RSPCA who identified it as a Slenderbrown scorpion, which in rare cases is known to cause heart attacks, hypertension or even death.

The retired health worker - who was left shaken by the encounter - has vowed to be more cautious when buying fruit.

She said: ''Before I go to sleep I still look under the pillow and the bed and give the quilt a good shake.

''I won't buy bananas in sealed bags again. I will stick to loose ones from the city market.''

A spokesman for Aldi said: ''Incidents like this are extremely rare, but can naturally occur with fresh produce. We have apologised to Ms Pollard for any distress this may have caused.''