Who you hissing at?

From the archive, first published Thursday 26th Apr 2007.

THIS snake might seem all innocence now - but it gave one man the fright of his life.

Phillip Hawks spotted the three-feet long corn snake in the driveway of his home in Kingswood Chase, Leigh, on Wednesday.

He said: "It was in a pile of rubbish on our driveway. I thought it was one of my son's toys, but then it wriggled. I stepped back in disbelief.

"Snakes aren't my favourite items."

Mr Hawks called Iain Newby, from animal charity Dwarf, in Great Wakering, who advised him to wrap it up and keep it in a pillow case. He then came to collect it.

Mr Newby said he expected the snake to be a former pet.

He said: "These are the real escape artists. They will squeeze through anything. People who get them should make sure there is not a gap anywhere in the house."

But Mr Newby said corn snakes were quite harmless and had no problem letting his three-year-old son Jack handle it.

"There is no danger," he said.