A GARDENER was stunned to discover a weed in his garden he thought was a wild cucumber is in fact a deadly plant used for poison arrows.

Graham Bober was watching the TV news when a report came on about a woman who had found the toxic species datura stramonium, or devil’s weed, growing among her geraniums.

As the cameras zoomed in on the green-spiked intruder, the keen vegetable gardener realised it was identical to a plant he’d found in his own back yard.

The 64-year-old, of Shrub End Road, Colchester, said: “I was amazed. When I first found the plant, I saw it had flowers similar to a cucumber, but with these round, spiky pods.

“When I saw it on TV, I suddenly realised what it was.”

Usually found in the jungles of the Amazon, datura stramonium is traditionally used by South American Indians to poison arrow tips and spears. It is a hallucinogenic and can cause seizures and death.

If eaten, it can cause a trance-like or delirious state which can last for days. The plant is thought to be becoming more common in Britain, as its seeds sometimes end up in packets sold to the public as feed for wild birds.

Last year, gran Margaret Scobie, 57, got a shock when a devil’s weed sprang up on a footpath outside her home in Greenstead, Colchester.

Despite the dangers caused by high doses of the plant’s poison, Colchester Council said it is safe for gardeners to dig up and dispose of if they wear gloves.