A family from Abbey Wood, having called the RSPCA with no response, called the police after an aggressive 3ft snake slithered out of their chimney and into their lounge. A hiss from the family cat in the direction of the fireplace tempted one family member to take a closer look. It was only when he put his head up in the chimney stack did he come face to face with the snake. Thought to be a Desert King snake, normally only found in Southern America, the police were called to try to capture the reptile. Taking over an hour, the snake was finally detained by police using a bin, a takeaway pizza box and gaffer tape and taken to a nearby wildlife rescue centre. Desert King snakes can grow up to 6ft long. It is not known how the snake got into the chimney or how long it was there for. From: http://bit.ly/162acLz