A GARDENER had the shock of her life when she opened a shed door to be confronted by an American corn snake.

The middle-aged woman, from Billingham, Teesside, found the creature on Monday morning.

She immediately locked the shed door and ran to her house to call Stockton Borough Council's animal welfare team.

The snake, which has been named Simon, is only three months old and ten inches long. It will grow to about 6ft and develop a nasty nip, although it is not poisonous.

Simon is being housed at the welfare team's base, in Church Road, Stockton.

"The woman who found it nearly had a heart attack, as anyone would," said Michelle Johnson, animal welfare officer.

"We want to get hold of the owner. At this age snakes don't travel far and we are hoping that someone in the vicinity of Cowpen Lane, in Billingham, will come forward.

"If we don't find the owner, we will make sure he is given a good home.

"There is a problem with snakes like relatively harmless corn snakes because there isn't enough legislation. Pet shops can import them and sell them relatively cheaply, but people sometimes do not really know how to look after them properly."

The animal welfare team can be contacted on (01642) 393020.