A species of crab has been found to play an “unheralded role” in the breakdown of microplastic particles, according to scientists.

The University of Exeter said scientists observed fiddler crabs in a polluted mangrove forest in Colombia ingest “large quantities of small plastic particles in the sediment”.

It said the species could break down plastics within days - but scientists warned of a potential release of harmful nanoplastics into their tissues and, consequently, the food chain.