By Hayley Robinson

A strange but oddly beautiful caterpillar has been appearing our gardens.

Sightings of the supersized bug across the county left some people scratching their heads including Karen Lewis who found three of the giant caterpillars in the back garden of her home in Coombe Drive, Sittingbourne.

The odd-looking creepy-crawly is almost 10cm long - nearly double the size of a normal caterpillar.

Mrs Lewis said she had no idea what the creature was at first, but after taking a picture of it and searching on the internet she identified it as an elephant hawk moth caterpillar.

Mrs Lewis, she said: "I'm just going to leave them there. It's just nature. I just hope they don't come back."

The elephant hawk moth, scientific name deilephila elpenor, can be found across Britain and Ireland but also across Europe, Russia, China, northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, Japan and Korea.

It has a 'horn' on its back used to hang from branches and a trunk-like snout which gives the moth its name.

When startled, the caterpillar draws its trunk into itself and, with its four eye-like patches, resembles a snake. It can also 'hiss' and raise itself up to scare off predators.

The caterpillars eat willow herb, bedstraw but also fuchsias.

The adult moth can be shades of dark green, dark brown, pink, yellow or purple.

Enthusiasts suggest you do not touch the caterpillar if you should find one as it will most likely be feeding and will then often cocoon and pupate in fallen leaves.

Have you seen this caterpillar - or even the moth - in your gardens? Send in your pictures of your outsized creepy crawly to sittingbourne@thekmgroup.co.uk