A snake slithering in a toilet gave a Gateshead man the fright of his life when he found the reptile hiding in his bathroom.
The startled resident found the escaped reptile, which belonged to a neighbour, lurking in the soil pipe boxing when he went to the toilet during the night.
An Invicta Environmental Ltd team were called out on 12 August to the unusual incident and managed to safely remove the slithery intruder without harm to either the reptile or the resident, and the snake was returned to its owner.
“Snakes are uncommon in the UK, but when they escape from captivity they can be difficult to catch, because they love hiding in tight spaces,” explained Jack Edwards from Invicta Environmental.