Pc Hartas with the snake, which is not poisonous

Police are trying to find the owner of a large snake discovered in a car park.

The 5ft Columbian Rainbow Boa Constrictor was discovered by a member of the public near a Sunderland park.

Pc Angela Hartas was called to the car park, in Shepherd Way, near James Steel Park, in Fatfield, Washington, on 26 April at around 1530 BST.

Pc Hartas, who is a former veterinary nurse, managed to find a box to put the snake in and the RSPCA was called.

Warmer climes

She said: "Most of my colleagues would have run a mile. "My training came in handy as I have handled snakes before and I am not frightened of them.

"I didn't get sent on the call because I was a veterinary nurse - my colleagues didn't know what I did before. But they do now."

The snake was taken to The Reptile Trust, in Burnopfield, County Durham.

The snake, which is not poisonous, is believed to be a lost pet and police are keen to trace its owners.

It prefers warmer climes and has been warming up at The Reptile Trust, where it seems to be doing well.

Its natural habitat is the forest floor in areas of high humidity.