Boa constrictor snake on the loose in Huyton

A 5ft (1.5m) snake has escaped from a house on Merseyside.

The four-year-old boa constrictor, which has black and green camouflage markings and is yellow underneath, went missing from Parbrook Road, Huyton earlier.

Police said the snake was non-venomous, but "may become aggressive if it feels threatened". The public are advised not to approach it.

The snake, named Petzi, was described as "normally very placid".

'Ripped house apart'

Jennifer Whitby, the snake's owner, said Petzi's tank was empty when she got up at about 06:00 BST.

She said: "It's unlike her to be missing this long. She has got out before but she has only got as far as underneath the couch by the tank.

"I'm a bit scared to be honest. I've ripped my house apart twice looking for her."

She added: "Police have been knocking round the neighbours' houses telling them to keep their pets inside until the snake has been found."

Ms Whitby said her only explanation for the escape was either Petzi managed to slide open the glass door of the tank, or she had been stolen.

"I hope she hasn't got out, I hope she's still in my house hiding. I've been advised to put my heating on full so it's dead warm in the house, so if she's warm, she will come out to cool down," she said.

Boa constrictors are commonly found in tropical forests in South America and are from the family of constricting snakes, which kill their prey through asphyxiation.