World's First Worm Farm

For those who are worried about leaving their cats and dogs when going on holiday - there are catteries and kennells, and even posh dog hotels.

But for those with an altogether more slithery companion, the world's first worm hotel has opened.

In an increasingly eco-conscious world, there is a growing trend for keeping worm farms at home for composting - and owners who grow attached to their environmentally-friendly pets worry about leaving them when they go away.

Michelle Hattingh, thought of the idea after discovering that hundreds of people had taken worms as 'eco-pets' in her home town of East London, South Africa.

She said: "Cats have catteries and dogs have kennels, but there was nowhere for people to leave their worms when they went on holiday."