Border Force officials [at Glasgow Airport] discovered the group of 36 giant African land snails when a man arrived from Amsterdam earlier this month.

The molluscs, which are not indigenous to Britain, averaged around 15cm in length, and have shells the size of a human fist.

Officers seized the snails, because they require a live import licence, which the traveller did not have.

Though the snails would be unlikely to survive the British winter they could spread diseases if released into the wild.

They were passed on to an animal rescue organisation and the man was warned about the restrictions.

The man attempting to bring the Giant African Land snails into Scotland said they were for food.