Mum thought daughter's hair braid was snake

A mum called firefighters to what she believed was a snake in her bathroom, which turned out to be a hair braid.

The "frightened" woman raised the alarm just after 08:30 GMT on Wednesday from her home in Durham.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) said when its station manager turned up he found the suspected serpent to be nothing more than a plaited lock of hair, which belonged to the woman's daughter.

He reassured the resident and gave her a glass of water to "calm her nerves", the service added.

The service said it had intended to confirm the location of the snake to pass on to the RSCPA but its help was not needed.

It reminded people staff were trained in animal rescue techniques.

"While this incident turned out to be a false alarm, we would always encourage residents to phone us for help if they need it," the CDDFRS said.

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