A dad from East Lothian was left terrified when he spotted a 4ft snake in his late aunt's kitchen sink.
Paul Lawrie, was clearing out the property with the help of his 28-year-old daughter Abigail on Saturday January 7 when he saw what he thought was just a toy.
The 53-year-old had been going in and out of the home since December to help clean it up, collect mail and make sure the place was being kept clean and well-heated while empty.
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It wasn't until Paul touched the unusual visitor that had made itself comfortable in the kitchen sink. That was when they realised it was in fact a live snake and the pair "immediately" jumped back.
Speaking to The Record, Paul, a case maintenance technician, said: "It was my daughter who asked me why my aunt had a toy snake in her sink. It didn't look real so I touched it but that's when I knew it was the real deal.
"My daughter freaked out. She doesn't like them at all. It's all well and good being told they're not venomous but you're still scared they might bite you.
"The last time I saw a snake was in the zoo 30 years ago. It was quite the shock to see it in my aunt's kitchen basin!"
Without wasting any time, Paul phoned the Scottish SPCA. They sent out an inspector and confirmed the reptile had indeed taken up residence among his aunt's pots and pans.
The creature was removed from the property.
Paul continued: "The inspector said it wouldn't have been there for long because it was still fat and healthy-looking. She picked it up and put it in a pillow case, I didn't want to handle it at all. There was no chance I was going anywhere near it."
Photos taken at the scene show the orange snake nestled between washing brushes in a bowl beside the cooker. In one ominous close-up, the animal's eyes are almost bulging out of its sockets as it stares straight ahead.
Paul has also shared his bizarre encounter with the critter on a local Facebook group, but no one has claimed ownership of the snake.
"The inspector knocked on some doors on her way out to see if it belonged to anyone but I took it and she didn't get an answer. I put it on social media, too, to see if it stirred any interest, but no one has claimed it.
The SSPCA has been contacted for comment.
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