A family has been left shaken after they spotted a five-foot snake slithering across their living room floor.
Fearing that the black and white reptile could be venomous, the dad ushered his children to another room before calling 999.
Officers from the RSPCA could not attend the flat in Hodge Hill, Birmingham, until the morning, so the responsibility fell on the hands of West Midlands Police.
Arriving armed with a pillow case and a grabber, an officer found the snake under the sofa earlier in June.
An officer even joked ‘Do I need to record the time of arrest?’ as he rescued the animal, putting it into a cage.
West Midlands Police believe the snake could have got into the property through the pipe system.
A spokesperson 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.
‘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.’
The force confirmed the snake is ‘absolutely fine’ and will be looking for a new home.
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