A colony of free-flying Egyptian fruit bats is the star attraction of Old Joe's Mine, a new subterranean adventure which has just opened at Longleat.

The bats fly among visitors who must try and discover a series of clues to explain what happened to Old Joe and his missing gold.

Visitors can walk about the disused gold mine with its low-level lighting, sound effects and a variety of creepy crawlies.

Keeper Darren Beasley said: "Some people go in expecting to be terrified but come out the other side as real bat enthusiasts.

"The combination of adventure trail and live animal exhibits seems to really appeal to people particularly those with young families and we are delighted with the visitors' response to the new attraction."

Mr Beasley added that a member of staff is in the area at all times to explain the bats' behaviour and give some background on where they come from and what they eat.

Adult Egyptian fruit bats have a wingspan of two feet, weigh just five ounces and can live up to 22 years or more in captivity.

As their name suggests, they live almost exclusively on a fruit diet.