Snake causes alarm

Yorkshire Water is urging visitors to its popular Swinsty reservoir site near Harrogate to be careful after a six foot Boa Constrictor was spotted.

A dog walker saw the snake - now confirmed to be a Constrictor - on Saturday. Experts believe it is a pet which has escaped.

Boa Constricors are from the Caribbean and can grow up to four metres.

Geoff Lomas, from Yorkshire Water, said: "Clearly there is some concern in that we have a snake, of which we know very little about, including when it last ate.

"Whilst a boa constrictor is unlikely to pose a risk to humans, a lot of people walk their dogs around the site and clearly dogs could be at a small risk from such a predator."