A 'stink bug' that pumps out an evil stench and devastates crops has been spotted in the UK for the first time, according to reports.
The brown marmorated insect from Asia emits a gut-wrenching smell when crushed or threatened and has already invaded the US and parts of Europe.
Now the pest has found its way to the UK as experts of the Natural History Museum have confirmed three sightings - in London, Essex and Suffolk, according to inews.
Scientists have been warning for years over the stink bug, with traps set across Scotland to lure an invading insect that threatens to destroy a wide range of farmers' crops.
The stink bug not only emits a pungent smell but can also eat its way through strawberries, raspberries, plums and tomatoes.
Homeowners are warned the insects could invade homes during winter, with hundreds of thousands prone to clustering around window frames to form a 'crust'.
In 2014, entomologist Max Barclay of London’s Natural History Museum warned that it was "it is only a matter of time" before it set up home in the UK.
"I think the brown marmorated stink bug will establish a population here,” he said. “It will make its presence felt fairly quickly because it comes into people's homes in the autumn and winter.”
Last year, Scottish gardeners were urged to check their greenhouses for a destructive bug on route to destroy soft fruit and vegetables.
The creatures, which have special glands which give out the putrid smell, have already been discovered on timber heading for Britain.
Described as having an unpleasant sweet smell similar to marzipan, the bugs have already gained a foothold in France and Germany.
The country could face a similar battle to the one which is still ongoing in the US, where the stink bug has been causing serious problems since arriving there in the 1990s.
Across the Atlantic, fruit, vegetables and plant life are devoured by the bug, which spread unchecked due to the fact that its natural predators only exist in Asia.
