A routine town cleaning round in Cowes turned into an unusual animal rescue when Island Roads team members discovered an unexpected group of six-legged stowaways left inside a discarded box.

The story began when Cowes town cleaner Dan Legg spotted a large white box that had been left out as rubbish during his rounds.

When Dan carefully opened the box to investigate, he was met by a giant insect and swiftly closed it again to prevent any escape attempts before calling charge-hand Mandy Tomlinson for advice.

Mandy said: “Dan is not a fan of creepy-crawlies and had never seen anything like it before, so it is fair to say he was not entirely thrilled.

“As soon as I saw the box, it was clear these were unwanted pets — Madagascan hissing cockroaches. Our hub put me in contact with the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary who were very helpful and invited me to bring them over.

“By then we had discovered there was more than one, so I took them to the team there to be safely looked after.”

Although the full story of how the cockroaches came to be abandoned remains a mystery, the unusual find had a happy ending. Thanks to Dan’s quick thinking and Mandy’s swift action, the insects are now safely in the sanctuary’s care – and Dan has recovered from the shock.

Wildheart Animal Sanctuary Animal Manager Marc Fox said: “We were more than happy to provide a home for the Madagascan hissing cockroaches. Once they have completed their quarantine period — a standard procedure for any new arrival – they will be introduced to our other cockroaches here at the Sanctuary.

“After their roadside rescue by the Island Roads team, these lucky arrivals are settling into their forever home by the sea. Sadly, not all abandoned animals are so fortunate – and we’d always recommend you get in touch with a local animal rescue organisation for support if you’re struggling to look after a pet.

“Well done to Island Roads for doing the right thing and helping to bring these cockroaches to safety.”