Shock as snake is found in Birmingham bedroom

Feb 28 2008 By Patrice John

ELIZABETH Gibbons had the shock of her life when she went into her bedroom and was confronted by a snake.

Elizabeth, who screamed and leapt on to her bed, said: "It was like something from the Twilight Zone - things like this don't happen around here."

She and the snake had an anxious stand-off as experts from Birmingham Nature Centre rushed to her home in Edgbaston to capture the reptile.

They discovered it was a 14in corn snake from north America, which are often kept as pets.

Today store manager Elizabeth was recovering from her shock and spoke of the ordeal.

She discovered the snake when her doorbell rang and she ran into her upstairs bedroom to sneak a look at who was calling.

But as she leaned forward to look at the doorstep she was greeted by the unwelcome visitor.

She immediately leaped on to her bed as the snake headed for her cross trainer machine.

Elizabeth, who works for Gizmos, in Sutton Coldfield, screamed for help and bolted for the landing. She said: "I heard the doorbell ring and I went to the bedroom window to see who it was.

"It was then that I saw the snake under the window. It was brown with dots on it. I screamed loudly and jumped on the bed and it made its way into my lateral thigh trainer."

Elizabeth, aged 46, of Daisy Road, rang friends and her boyfriend Richard Graham and was told to call Birmingham Nature Centre, in Pershore Road.

Two members of staff promptly came and retrieved the snake.

"I have seen my fair share of spiders but I can't say I've ever seen a snake up close," she said.

"When I called the nature centre and told them what it looked like, they said they couldn't be sure what kind of snake it was and so I needed to stay away from it for my own safety.

"They didn't have to tell me twice." Elizabeth said staff removed the snake and told her it had been living outside.

"They also said it had not been fed very well," she said. " I just don't understand how it ended up in my bedroom."