Family sells car with pet snake inside - five months later it wraps itself round new owner's leg

Keith, a five-foot corn snake, escaped from his travel box in June leaving eight year-old owner Jack Wellington devastated.

It hid itself inside his family’s Nissan Navara and they tried everything to lure it out with mum Fiona even sleeping in the car to try to coax it with her body warmth.

When Keith failed to appear the family thought he had been lost forever and Ms Wellington then decided to sell the car.

But the harmless stowaway then dramatically reappeared five months later - as new owners Claire Brealey and partner Gavin Reed drove it down the M5.

They had only just bought the car from a Sheffield dealer and saw the snake wrapped around the legs of their dog for warmth.

They pulled onto the hard shoulder in Worcestershire in shock and called police who also saw the snake - but it disappeared again before they had chance to catch it.

Claire and Gavin gingerly drove home to Bristol where the snake was finally coaxed out five days later.

Ms Wellington saw the story and realised the snake was missing Keith.

She said: “Claire and Gavin had told their local BBC station about the snake in the car and a friend of mine sent me a link to the story though Facebook.

“Suddenly I realised this could be Keith. I contacted the BBC and Jack and I made an appeal on BBC Worcester radio at 5pm asking for them to get in touch.

“Amazingly they did but they told me that Keith had gone back into the car and they hadn’t seen him since.

“Claire then called me a few days later and told me they had left a dead mouse out of him and had got him.

“I drove down to Bristol after work and brought him back home.

“I was so pleased that I could tell Jack I wasn’t the evil mother who had lost his snake anymore.”

Ms Wellington added: “He looks really healthy which we’re amazed at.

“We’re just so pleased he’s back. Jack won’t stop putting him down. He said the family is all back together now.”