A bucket of live crabs was found dumped at the bottom of a family’s driveway, sparking a warning to Midland holidaymakers not to bring the crustaceans back from the seaside.

Twenty-six crabs were abandoned at the end of a driveway in Tasley, Bridgnorth, are now recovering at Birmingham’s National Sea Life Centre after all but one survived.

Resident Jane Waine, who found the creatures, said today: “I was putting the bins out when I saw a flash of yellow, which turned out to be a kiddie’s bucket full of crabs all climbing on top of each other. It was just dumped alongside several bin bags.”

The crabs are now being cared for in the Sea Life Centre’s quarantine unit. They will later be moved to the shoreline and rock pool display.

Displays supervisor Lynsey Thompson said: “This is the second crab rescue in the region in the space of two months,” she said. “The first involved a large shore crab found walking down the middle of the road in Winson Green, but sadly he didn’t survive.”

The centre and the RSPCA have now joined forces to issue a warning to families heading to the coast. They are asking parents to make sure their children do not sneak any creatures into the car for the journey home. “Crabs are sensitive creatures that need to be kept at a certain temperature and will die if kept out of water for very long,” Ms Thompson added.

RSPCA animal collection officer Elaine Williams, who  was called to the scene in Bridgnorth, said: “I was astonished. You don’t expect to be rescuing crabs in the Midlands.”