Birmingham police save 'slippery customer' boa constrictor spotted in road

A boa constrictor spotted by police in the middle of a busy road in Birmingham gave officers an "off-the-scale" shock, the West Midlands force has said.

The officers were driving down Park Lane on Saturday afternoon when they saw the "slippery customer" moving across the road, according to police.

They managed to manoeuvre the snake into a pillow case and took it to Birmingham Reptile Centre for checks.

Staff said the boa, which is non-venomous, was believed to be a pet.

Mohammed Shikdar, who filmed the capture, said he went closer after he saw police officers and on-lookers "crowding around something".

"That's when I saw the snake and the police were trying to pick the snake up using the broom and a walking stick," he said.

"The snake felt threatened and tried to attack the broom."

Chloe Clarke, team supervisor at the Reptile Centre in Erdington, said as boa constrictors were not native to the UK, the reptile must have been in captivity.

The snake was spotted by officers from the force's operational support unit, West Midlands Police said

She said she believed it had escaped, rather than having been left somewhere.

The snake was well-fed, but had a couple of marks and some scale damage from the dry climate, Ms Clarke added.

"It's just a shame that a lot of people think snakes are dangerous, but they are just an animal," she said.

"They [boa constrictors] are not venomous and are not capable of harming a human."

She said the snake might give a small bite "like a pin-prick" if it was scared.

Staff at the centre would look after the creature for a month in the hope the owner would get in touch, but after that it would be re-homed, she said.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]