A plague of caterpillars, whose hairs can cause allergic reactions, has returned to Dorset.

Larvae of brown-tailed moths have made their way onto Portland and several people have captured photos of them webbing nests on branches and in hedgerows.

Wayne Copperthwaite, from Portland, spent a day at Portland Bill with his friend Vincent over the bank holiday. After coming into contact with the caterpillars, both of Vincent's arms were covered in a lumpy and itchy rash.

However Katie Callaghan, of Lulworth-based Butterfly Conservation, said there's no need to panic when it comes to the caterpillars.

She said: "Brown-tail caterpillars are mostly found on bramble, hawthorn and blackthorn in scrub, hedgerows, parks and gardens in southern coastal areas.

"The caterpillars emerge every spring and mostly don’t cause any issues, but they can be a problem when they occur in large numbers, as the hairs can cause skin irritation and rashes.

"They spin communal nests of silk, which also contain their irritant hairs. The advice with these caterpillars, or indeed any hairy caterpillar you see, is to not touch them."

Katie said anyone who spots large nests close to schools or car parks should contact the local authority. She added that due to the current size of the caterpillars they will only be around for a few more weeks, after which they will no longer be a problem.

A Weymouth and Portland Borough Council spokesman said: "Our advice would be avoid any infestation and not try to destroy them yourself.

"There are specialist companies available if you believe you have an unavoidable infestation, such as one on your property."