UK households warned 7ft long snakes breeding inside your walls

A species of snake which is one of the largest in Europe is breeding inside walls and attics in households across the UK.

Aesculapian snakes can grow up to 7ft long and are not native to the UK but have become an invasive species after a few rogue snakes survived in warm corners of the country following an escape from a Welsh zoo in the 1970s.

The snakes have been found in Regent's Park in London as well as Bridgend in South Wales.

A study of the snakes found that the snakes have been surviving by hiding in attics and walls inside houses, while the females stick to woods and forests.

The researchers also found eggs inside a home's compost bin and think that the snakes are using hedges and drain culverts to slip undetected between new areas while avoiding roads.

British Wildlife says; "These snakes were introduced into Wales an area of the UK. They were introduced when a colony of them were released in and around the grounds of the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay. They escaped from the zoo when the zoo shut down. The colony in North Wales has existed there for 30-40 years.

"They released all the snakes into the welsh countryside. Numbers are unknown, but the colony is likely to contain at least several dozen individuals. Reproduction appears to occur regularly, as specimens of all size classes can be found, but at present, there is no indication that the species has spread beyond the immediate vicinity of the Zoo.

"These snakes have also been introduced on a seperate occasion to the central of London. No one knows just how they got there all they know is that they're there. There are about now about 20 breeding pairs in London."