A Suffolk woman has had a mystery plant in her garden identified - as a deadly tropical bush normally found in the Amazon.

Phyllis Abbott, 79, spotted the first shoots of Devil's Snare in the spring and it is now 5ft tall. It's used by South American Indians to poison their hunting spears and arrows, and in Hindu ceremonies for its hallucinogenic qualities.

Its poison causes dry mouth, blurred vision, heart irregularities, hallucinations, and eventually coma and death in severe cases. Mrs Abbott and husband George, 84, of Newmarket, contacted the Royal Horticultural Society who identified the plant as highly venomous.

While its arrival is a mystery, the couple have been told the seed may have arrived via bird droppings and random sightings normally only occur in mainland Europe. Mrs Abbott said: "We are not worried because we know about it now and can keep away from it. It will stay in my garden until the weekend in case anyone wants to come and see it, but then I am going to cut it down."

The Royal Horticultural Society told the Abbotts that the plant's poison could be dangerous to humans and pets and advised them to dig it up. Spokesman James Armitage said: "These plants are not native to Britain and we think their seeds are spread by birds. They belong to the same family as Deadly Nightshade and are highly poisonous if eaten."

This is precisely why I don't do anything in the garden!

All right love... I'll pull it up at the weekend.

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