TERRIFIED Shakil Ahmed today spoke of the moment a slithering intruder woke him up with a good-morning hiss!

The foot-long admirer, nicknamed Cedric, climbed on to Mr Ahmed's bed and was peering at him over the duvet when he opened his eyes. "I'm not scared of snakes, but it's not everyday you see one in East Lancashire," said the 27-year-old chemist, of Clarence Street, Accrington.

The father-of-two said he jumped from the bed and ran downstairs to pick up a glue board, normally used to catch mice, to trap the red, white and black snake.

Mr Ahmed said he did not know whether it was poisonous or where it had come from -- it was only later that it was identified as a harmless North American Corn Snake, and a baby at that.

After sticking it to the carpet with the glue board, Mr Ahmed -- who was alone in the house because his wife Shakila, 27, a housewife, had taken his children aged three and five out -- ran across the road to tell his father, who did not believe him.

"My dad said: 'A snake in Accrington? I don't think so, it'll only be a worm.' Now I've never come across one in real life before but I know a snake when I see one."

His father confirmed his fears so he rang Hyndburn Council only to be told they do not deal with snakes, before trying the RSPCA.

"I got no answer from the RSPCA so I called the police, I don't think they believed me. I asked them what's a snake doing in my house, I'm in East Lancashire not the tropics!

"Imagine you waking up next to a snake. I won't be able to sleep for the next two weeks now. I also said I think somebody's trying to assassinate me! They were all in stitches."

He said the police eventually promised to send a man round to catch the snake -- a Mr Eel -- but he would not be able to get there until teatime. I couldn't sit in with this snake looking at me all day, so I rang the RSPCA again and they came round. It only took him a minute to trap it.

"The man from the RSPCA thinks it is somebody's pet from somewhere close, but I've asked around and I haven't heard of anything," said Mr Ahmed.

RSPCA animal collector Jimmy Ratcliff said: "This man was terrified of the snake, even though it was not dangerous. They are renowned for being escape artists and this snake is likely not to have travelled far.

"Every year the RSPCA is called to collect around 4,000 exotic animals, including snakes, lizards, iguanas and spiders. We believe exotic animals do not make good pets, they require specialist care."