Bury St Edmunds 'Boa constrictor': Snake seen on pavement

The snake "slithered away" before police could confirm the Bury St Edmunds sighting

A 3ft (0.9m) snake, believed to be a boa constrictor, has been seen on the streets of Suffolk, police say.

The reptile was spotted by a woman in Sextons Way, Bury St Edmunds, about 09:40 GMT.

She described it to police as "brown in colour, about three foot long and two inches wide".

The officer who went to investigate said it had "slithered away before we got there". The RSPCA said it would be looking for somewhere warm.

The species, commonly found in tropical forests in South America, can grow up to three metres (9.8ft) long.

They do not have fangs or venom, but squeeze the life from their prey before swallowing the body whole.

A police spokeswoman said members of the public should not approach the snake.

Andy Robbins from the RSPCA said: "If this is a boa constrictor it's not venomous but people should err on the side of caution.

"It's likely to be an escaped pet and as temperatures are dropping it will mostly likely be trying to find warmth.

"If people are able to contain it safely, say just closing the doors if it was in a garage, they can then contact us we'll come and collect it."