Sit next to this man on London public transport and you could be sharing your journey with his pet tarantula, scorpion or giant millipede.

Phillip Burnett, 26, from Battersea, is an educational presenter for animal company Zoolab and visits nurseries, schools, care homes and parties.

He is a bit different to other presenters in that he travels about the capital with his exotic pets, packed in little ‘travel houses’ in his big backpack.

He said: "I keep warm with hot water bottles and I always take my heat mat to keep them warm at venues.

"I have a corn snake, a tarantula, scorpion, cane toad, two hermit crabs, two stick insects, a giant millipede, two giant snails, two Madagascan cockroaches and a leopard gecko.

"None of them are that hard to keep, they all need heat mats to be kept warm and the toad and gecko need live crickets to eat, and the snake needs mice, but there is nothing taxing about any of it.

"I've always been into exotic animals, as a kid I loved catching things in the garden and making vivariums for them.

"Only ever had one escape, my millipede was found crawling across the floor behind me in a nursery one time, after I failed to clip shut his lid."

To contact Mr Burnett call 07823 348287 or visit zoolabuk.com.