A man has been left bemused by an invasion of crabs in his garden – despite living more than 50 miles (80km) from the coast.
Michael Birch found his seven unexpected guests scuttling around his shed when he returned from a camping trip on Monday.
The crustaceans, six of which have since died, have become the talk of the town in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, where others have also reported curious finds.
In spite of his shellfish allergy, Birch has kept the sole survivor alive in a bowl of water in his fridge and vowed to ensure it returns to the seaside.
“I noticed a large crab and thought it was a bit strange,” Birch, 57, told BBC Three Counties Radio presenter Andy Collins.
He added: “We’re assuming someone went crabbing and thought it was a bright idea to bring them home with them.
“Now, somehow, they’re in my garden.”
Michael Birch said he had not been to the coast for several months and had no idea where the crustaceans came from [Kate Bradbrook/BBC]
The mystery of how the crabs arrived in Biggleswade, a market town 11 miles south-east of Bedford and nowhere near the coast, has captivated locals.
Three other crabs were discovered dead in Hitchin Street.
“I was in the petrol station earlier and people were talking about it,” Birch added.
Ricky Watson, who found two of the sea-dwellers in a road, said: “I did think, ‘It’s a bit odd really, this far from the sea’.”
Another passer-by saw a crab in the gutter and thought it had come out of a dustbin.
Ecologist Richard Lawrence said the crabs could not possibly have made their own way to the town [Kate Bradbrook/BBC]
Richard Lawrence, a crustacean recorder in Bedfordshire, believed the creatures were inedible shore crabs.
“It’s never happened in our area before. We don’t get crabs in Bedfordshire,” he explained.
“I expect someone went crabbing at the weekend and brought them back, not realising they would just likely die because they can’t live long out of seawater.”
Lawrence warned Birch his newfound housemate might not survive its “traumatic experience”, yet added: “But let’s hope it does.”
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