A Stroud resident chanced upon a rare and beautiful moth in his garden last week.

Terry Alder of Cashes Green spotted the Garden Tiger moth resting on one of his shrubs.

"It's certainly an unusual find," said Mr Alder of the moth species which prefers cold climates.

"I have never seen one before. He was as big as any butterfly, but seemed far more sturdy.

I don't think I'll ever see one again, but I am very interested to see if anyone else has seen them in Stroud?"

The Garden Tiger moth is found across Britain, but numbers are declining throughout the country.

The Butterfly Conservation, which has over 30 nature reserves all over the UK that act as havens for butterflies and moths, believe the decline is due to "the spraying of weedy areas and the general tidying of hedgerows."

"Butterflies will visit any garden, however small, if they can feed from nectar plants," advises the organisation.

"A well-thought out garden can attract more than 20 species of butterfly."