Police were called to a Birmingham flat after a petrified family spotted a 1.5-metre-long snake slithering across their living room floor. Fearing the serpent could be venomous, the horrified dad rushed his children to safety in another room and dialled 999.
Officers visited the address in Hodge Hill on Sunday night, June 12, and found the black and white snake hiding under a sofa. As the RSPCA was unable to attend until the morning, police were left with the task of getting the reptile into a cage, armed with a grabber and a pillow case.
A response officer could be heard on body-worn camera joking: "Do I need to record the time of arrest?" The snake was safely moved into a case and taken to a local reptile house.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "A police officer’s day is never dull – as one of our response teams found when called to help a family who’d found a snake in their home. We took an emergency call on Sunday night from a dad who’d found the 1.5-metre snake slithering across their lounge floor.
"Worried the black and white snake could be venomous, he quickly moved his children to another room and called us for help. RSPCA colleagues weren’t able to attend until the morning so our officers went to lend a hand – equipped with a grabber and pillow case.
"They found the snake underneath a sofa and managed to safely pop it unto the case and take it to a local reptile house. One of our call centre staff – our in-house reptile expert having worked in animal research for the University of British Columbia – had offered advice on the likely type of snake and handling tips.
"We’re not sure how the snake got into the flat in Hodge Hill, Birmingham. It’s suspected it may have got in through the pipe system. The snake is absolutely fine and will be looking for a new home."
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