A GARAGE owner from St Ives was given the fright of his life when he arrived at work to find a two foot snake waiting for him. Steve Fry, the owner of Crusader Cars in Stevenson Road was called to deal with the reptile on Saturday, September 16. Mr Fry s

A GARAGE owner from St Ives was given the fright of his life when he arrived at work to find a two foot snake waiting for him.

Steve Fry, the owner of Crusader Cars in Stevenson Road was called to deal with the reptile on Saturday, September 16.

Mr Fry said: "It was actually my 30-year-old son Stuart who first found the snake and it went for him. I don't know if it was scared or just had a temper. As soon as he saw it he called me into the garage to take a look at it.

"It was really weird looking, with a skin-like colour. I don't think it was dangerous but neither of us got close enough to find out."

Environmental health, the police and the RSPCA were called to the premises and within a few minutes the snake had been removed.

Mr Fry originally thought the snake had arrived with a batch of tyres delivered to his garage from Japan. But the RSPCA believe it was probably someone's pet that escaped.

An RSPCA spokesman told The Hunts Post: "These snakes are not dangerous and are usually bred in captivity so we believe it may have been a pet that escaped from its home.

"We found the snake more than a week ago, took it to the vets and put up posters but its owners failed to come forward so we re-homed it.

"The snake, which is a type of cornsnake known more commonly as a snow cornsnake is healthy and happy."

Mr Fry said: "I can safely say this is the strangest thing I have ever found in my garage in the whole three years I have owned it and it certainty give me a fright.