[17 OCT 00] CRIMES, FIRES & ACCIDENTS
Snake Alive After Escape Attempt

A slithering pet shop escapee caused a Warwick family to have the fright of their lives after it suddenly slid into view while they were driving.

David and Natalie Wilson thought they had bought a hose for their fish tank from PetsMart at Fletchampstead Highway, Canley, Coventry.

But as they were driving home in their Ford Escort the "hose" suddenly slithered into life.

It wasn’t until they got to the Galveston crossing over the A46, near Leek Wootton that their lengthy companion made its presence felt by slithering up the leg of David who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

Natalie, who was driving the car, nearly crashed at the sight of the three-foot snake, which was brown with diamond-shaped marks on it.

David, aged 29, said:

"We didn't realise but the box had a tear in it and the snake must have got in there.

"As we went up the slip road I felt somehting on my leg and I screamed. My wife thought it was because hse had gone over a bump and I had banged my knee."

They managed to stop the car and get out with their two children and flagged down a passing police car - which turned out to be an armed response vehicle.

Joking that the could shoot it if need be, the officers eventually located the snake in the engine compartment of the car. It had wriggled through from the seating area along a cable.

David said:

"It was three feet long, but it looked like a ten foot boa constrictor to me. We had put it in the car with the heater on and it woke up and decided to turn up and say hello."