An exotic snake was rescued by vets after it was found on the loose.

The non-venomous snake, which had a small abrasion on its tail and was suffering from the cold, was saved by Chris McDonald, a vet at Nine Lives Vets in High Street, Redbourn,

A member of the public had called the practice after spotting the snake in bushes beside electrical boxes on Lybury Lane, near the convenience store, on January 4.

Chris said: “It was in pretty good condition. We did a couple of quick health checks.

“It’s quite a young snake. It was easy to pick up. During cold weather their metabolism drops quite a bit, so it was inactive.

“We always take precautions when approaching snakes. We transported it back in a pillow case and warmed it up slowly to get it back to optimal body temperature, and gave it water and food.”

The practice is not releasing an image or a more detailed description of the snake, to prevent it being claimed by wrongful owners.

Chris: “We are waiting for anyone to say they have lost a snake and can describe the species.”