4ft snake found under van bonnet at London garage

A mechanic was left "screaming and petrified" when he opened the bonnet of a van - to find a 4ft (1.2m) snake inside. The mechanic at the Test Centre, in Bedfont, west London, was finishing an MoT when he made the discovery.

The garage said that when the RSPCA was called officers initially thought the mechanics were playing a prank - but the snake was eventually quarantined.



It was found to be a black rat snake - a constrictor that is not venomous or dangerous to humans.

The species is not native to Britain and the driver of the van said he had not recently been abroad. The snake has been taken into quarantine by staff from nearby Heathrow Airport. It is believed to be an escaped pet.

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