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Scorpion halts Edinburgh-bound train
A passenger train was stopped after the discovery of a live scorpion.
Arachnid scuttled out of a passenger’s bag

A passenger train travelling from London to Edinburgh had to be halted by police following the discovery of a live scorpion.

According to BBC News, the train was stopped at Peterborough at approximately 3pm on New Year’s day, after the arachnid scuttled its way out of a passenger’s bag.

Thankfully, British Transport Police officers were on hand to help, scooping the scorpion into an empty plastic tub and transporting it to a local exotics refuge.

“Happy to confirm we attended and quickly took the sting out of the situation!” they later tweeted.

Staff at the Exotic Pet Refuge in Deeping St James told BBC News that identifying the species of the scorpion might be difficult.

"I was told the woman whose bag it came out of had recently come back from Guatemala - and there are 100 different kinds of scorpion there," explained refuge centre owner Pam Mansfield.

"It's only small - about three-quarters of an inch - and it's jet black with very fine little pincers.

"Usually, the smaller they are, the deadlier they are - so it could be quite a nasty piece of work. But we'll treat it with care."

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."