There was a sting in the tail for a member of staff unpacking toy animals at a GGD coronavirus test centre when he got his hands on a not so cuddly stowaway.

The centre in Zuidland regularly receives toys imported from China, which are given to children who come in for a test.

However, the last consignment included a very real scorpion which proceeded to sting one of the workers. It fell to the ground but was caught before it could scurry to safety.

According to the ambulance service Rotterdam-Rijnmond the man did not suffer any adverse effects from the sting. He has since been transferred to the Erasmus MC where ‘he will have a great story to tell during the break,’ the ambulance service said on Facebook.