PICTURE the massive moths in Silence of the Lambs and imagine one landing on your doorstep.

Pat and Ron Houghton got quite a suprise when they found a rare, six-centimetre long Death's Head Hawk Moth lurking under a car on their driveway on Norman Road in Runcorn.

They called the council's parks and countryside service who revealed that the insect was a rare visitor from the Mediterranean or South Africa, spotted only three times in Cheshire.

Sadly, the moth didn't recover from its transatlantic journey and died shortly after it was discovered. The rangers took it to a moth recorder in Manchester to be pinned, mounted and prepared for display at Runcorn Hill.

Bill Morton from the Parks and Countryside Service said: "This was an exciting find as the species is very rare and we are grateful to Mr and Mrs Houghton for contacting us. I'm sure when it goes on display at Runcorn Hill it will prove a popular attraction."

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