A FARMER from the Easingwold area of North Yorkshire got a fright while on his combine harvester in September.

He spotted movement in the field he was cutting, got out of his vehicle and disturbed two snakes in the corn.

One escaped and the other, which was 5ft long, slithered into the cutting blades of the combine. It died instantly.

RSPCA officer Geoff Edmond believes the pair were abandoned. He said: "With the cold weather moving in, the other snake will probably have died as well."