The brown tailed moth caterpillar has thousands of barbed hairs Credit: ITV News Anglia
The Heybridge Basin near Maldon in Essex is one of the most scenic parts of our coast, but now some residents say public safety is being put at risk by millions of poisonous caterpillars lining the pathways.
The brown tailed moth caterpillar has thousands of barbed hairs which, if you come into contact with, can cause serious health problems.
The caterpillars enclose themselves in silken 'tents' Credit: ITV News Anglia
In some cases the poisonous barbed hairs on the caterpillars can cause severe allergic reactions.
The brown tailed moth caterpillar Credit: ITV News Anglia
