Leeds man woke to find snake in bedroom

A man received an unpleasant surprise when he woke up to find a 4ft (1.2m) snake climbing up his bedside table.

Kelvin, who did not wish to give his surname, was asleep in his home in Beeston, Leeds, when a "clinking sound" woke him.

He managed to trap the corn snake in a breathable sleeping bag cover while waiting for the RSPCA.

Corn snakes are not native to the UK and it is likely to have been a lost or abandoned pet, the charity said.

The snake appeared at about 02:00 BST on 9 August, Kelvin said.

"I woke up to this strange clinking sound. I opened my eyes, but it was pitch dark so I picked up my phone and scanned the room with the torch and as I was putting the torch down I saw the snake climbing up the table right next to my bed.

"I dived across the room and switched the light on and the snake was there, half on the floor and half on the table by my bed."

He managed to contain the creature and call the RSPCA to come and collect it.

Insp Dave Holgate, from the charity, said coming face to face with a snake in the middle of the night must have been a "frightening experience".

"However, corn snakes aren't venomous and would only be expected to bite if they felt threatened."

He said the snake, nicknamed Tango, had been taken to a reptile specialist and would be re-homed if no-one came forward to claim it.

Corn snakes can live for up to 15 years and an adult would need a vivarium that matches their length, allowing them to stretch out fully, with the minimum width and height a third of their length, Mr Holgate said.

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