A snake on the loose has sparked a significant emergency response on Plymouth Hoe this evening.
Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police were on patrol when they were flagged down by a member of the public who had spotted the snake near West Hoe Park.
Police called the fire service and this time it wasn’t about a cat stuck up a tree but rather a suspected carpet python.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service sent a fire engine, an aerial ladder platform (ALP) alongside a technical rescue adviser to the scene.
Not even a vet could retrieve the snake so a plan was formulated which saw firefighters block the road while the ALP was extended towards the tree.
However the snake found the commotion rather scary and crawled away as the ladder approached.
Members of the public watched on as firefighters frantically chopped down part of the shrub so it could be thoroughly searched.
Firefighters even used a thermal imaging camera to help seek out the snake, but despite everyone’s best efforts, it has still not been found.
It is understood that the snake is now hiding in a hole in the wall behind the tree and the RSPCA has been informed.
Emergency services have now left the scene and traffic along Hoe Road is no longer blocked.
Sign up for free below to get notified of all the latest breaking news from Plymouth Plus.
