TERRAPINS have long been a much-loved feature at Hereford's Belmont Pools.

Often spotted sunning themselves on logs and banks at the Belmont Country Park, they're a popular sight for many visitors.

But why are the non-native creatures there at all?

The RSPCA said trends in keeping exotic pets are often linked to social media, film and TV, with a marked increase in demand for terrapins following the cult classic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Many people snapped up the reptiles, only to later realise that their 50 pence-sized pet would grow to the size of a dinner plate, while specialist dietary and accommodation needs meant some couldn’t cope.

As a result, RSPCA animal centres and other rescues were inundated and terrapins were spotted in public ponds around the country after large numbers were abandoned or given up.

The charity fears that non-native species such as terrapins, which are native to the USA, but now commonly spotted in waterways and lakes across the country, could pose a risk to our native wildlife.

Government organisation the Non-Native Species Secretariat said: "Terrapins are opportunistic omnivores, and due to their size it is possible that they could predate on native amphibians, fish, water birds, invertebrates and amphibians.

"They are also known to bask on the nests of waterfowl such as moorhens and thus interfere with breeding."

With visitors to Belmont pools counting up to eight terrapins at a time, it is uncertain exactly how many terrapins there are currently at the site.

It is not known whether they are breeding in Britain, although it is considered to be unlikely.

However, with Herefordshire's terrapin population surviving through extremes of weather such as the Beast from the East, and with a lifespan of about 30 years, they are likely to remain a common sight for many years to come.