Pest control called in after live scorpion found at Pinewood Studios

The film studios where Abba blockbuster Mamma Mia! was shot made an SOS call to pest control when a scorpion was spotted on the loose, it was disclosed today.

A worker at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire came across the black creature, about the size of a 10 pence piece, in the corridor last Friday.

It followed the discovery of a dead scorpion, also in a corridor at the site, the previous evening.

Andrew Smith, a spokesman for Pinewood, said they may have travelled with costumes or props being returned from an overseas shoot.

"They probably hitched a ride with something," he said.

"I don't think they're particularly suited to the countryside of Buckinghamshire."

He said the RSPCA and pest control services were called, who put the live scorpion into quarantine at Heathrow airport's Animal Reception Centre, where it remained.

"It was caught by one of our health and safety guys who put it in a lunchbox and gave it some lettuce and it went off," Mr Smith said.

Experts were checking to see if the scorpion - described as a "sub-adult" - had a lethal sting, while film crews and other workers at the studios were warned to watch out for more escaped creatures.

Mr Smith added: "We put up notices to inform colleagues about the little blighters.

"We obviously need to take it seriously. It's been dealt with."

As well as Mamma Mia!, which was also shot in parts of Greece, Pinewood Studios were used for scenes in the latest James Bond film Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig.