Clusters of bizarre wriggling creatures appeared on a Scottish island, baffling locals with their alien-like appearance.

Footage shows the mystery worm-like bugs - with elongated bodies, a tail, and no legs - crawling across the pavement in Rutland, East Midlands, on June 27.

Onlooker Tom Epps, who runs a livestock firm, appealed online to identify the creatures.

He said: 'Anyone know what these are? Apart from being from my nightmares.'

The farmer added: 'I had no idea what they were. They're not something I've seen before.'

The skin-crawling organisms seen in the video were believed to be rat-tailed maggots - larvae of certain hoverfly species.

Rat-tailed maggots thrive in stagnant bodies of water like sewage with low oxygen and high organic matter content. The distinct 'tails' on their posterior end serve as 'snorkels' allowing them to breathe while submerged.

The strange-looking creatures are also called 'mousies' and are sometimes bred to be used as fish bait.