Press: Snake sneaks into loft
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Posted by W von Papineäu on September 05, 2002 at 19:35:11:
THE JOURNAL (Leigh, UK) 05 September 02 Snake sneaks into loft
Mu`o-be Stephanie Marsh was horror struck when she spotted a 6ft snake on her garden fence.
She alerted neighbour Lisa Dowling of the sighting, then returned to witness the tail end of the reptile vanishing under the eaves into the loft of her home.
On Wednesday the two women, semi-detached neighbours in Hulme Road, Leigh, and their three children were still living in fear four days after action from the RSPCA and Wigan Council's animal wardens and pest controllers failed to find the reptile.
On Tuesday pest controllers placed a heat lamp and bate in the loft to lure out the snake, believed to be a rat snake, which is alleged to have escaped unreported from property in the area.
Distraught government employee, Stephanie, who moved into the house two weeks ago with her 10-years-old daughter, Yasmin, said yesterday: "The situation is horrendous. My daughter is petrified that it will come down into the house during the night, and neither of us has slept properly since Sunday.
"We are looking round all the time. I had two weeks off work to decorate the house and get it into some order, but I have not been able to do anything. The stress level is awful.
"At first no-one seemed to be believe our story, but thankfully the council's animal warden has been great. If it wasn't for her I don't know what we would have done. Living with an unwanted lodger like this is not very pleasant, but we are hoping the snake will be removed soon."
No risk
A council spokesman said: "There has been great difficulty in trying to trace the snake, a constrictor, which we have been told poses no risk to the occupiers.
"We appreciate the families' worries and are trying to contract specialist snake handlers. Our animal wardens are in constant contact. "
"The environmental health officers have put a heat lamp and bate in to draw the snake out, and there will also be an investigation as to how the situation arose. We are doing all we can to help."
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