Repair workers got quite the surprise when they came face-to-face with a snake while fixing a water leak in Basildon.
The reptile, discovered in a meter pit by Essex and Suffolk Water (ESW) crews, turned out to be a carpet python - an exotic species not native to the UK.
An ESW spokesperson said: "Our crews recently got quite the surprise while carrying out a leak repair in Basildon.
"They lifted the lid on a meter pit to find a VERY unexpected resident staring back at them.
