The Wheely Hairy Caterpillar

This handsome fella dropped out of the sycamore tree we were pruning today. Well... I say "we"... I was the bossy one underneath pointing and then wandering off to photograph caterpillars... It looks impressive from many angles and when uncurled has a big spiky red mohican on its head. Its velvety black and yellow body looks soft enough to cuddle.

I've had a quick flick through Google images and a British butterfly and moth website but I don't have a clue what it is yet.

Despite lopping off all the top branches of the tree, this was the only caterpillar we found so I decided it must be rare (in our garden at least) and snuck it in a safe place, away from the very interested dog, with all the cuttings. Yes, despite a cunning, 'Don't eat me, I'm just like a spiny sea-urchin,' impression, Dylan was up for the mouth test.

(Please don't tell me it's going to become one of those enormous, hairy, brown moths with the massive heads that get trapped in the house, flutter until I scream and then fly into my hair!)