Driver finds grass snake hitching a ride in the wheel of a rental car

A CAR rental firm driver had one slippery customer to deal with after he found it curled up in the wheel of a car.

The 2ft snake was found entwined around the brake discs and calipers of a Vauxhall Corsa at Thrifty Car and Van rental in Tritton Road, Lincoln.

It was spotted by driver Roger Marson, 63, as he helped fellow driver Rita Pearman pull out of a tight parking space.

“I was watching her pull out and all of a sudden noticed this little snake’s head poking out between the hubcap,” said Mr Marson, who is certain it was a grass snake.

“It’s not every day that you discover a snake wrapped around the wheel of one of our rental cars – it gave me a real shock when I first discovered it.

“The little thing was really trapped and took some manoeuvring to set him free.”

Mrs Pearman, 58, had to gently rock the car back and forth to try to release the green and black snake, which had trapped its tail.

“I was just about to start driving when Roger screamed at me to stop the car,” said Mrs Pearman.

“He told me there was snake trapped in the car, but I didn’t believe him.”

Remarkably, Mr Marson managed to coax the uninjured slippery creature and release it into shrub land behind the rental firm.

But the green and black critter must have liked its new set of wheels because it slithered back within minutes.

Determined to ensure the snake was safely released, Mr Marson took it to countryside near his house in Sturton by Stow where he set it free.

This is not the first time snakes have been spotted in the city.

The Echo reported in July how a green and brown snake, believed to be an adder, was seen by a mechanic at a workshop in Stamp End before giving workers the slip.

And last year a 9ft adder skin, complete with evidence of the eyes and nostrils, was discovered on Lincoln’s Ermine estate.

Jim Tweedle, owner of JC Exotics said: “You would need to be very careful about releasing a snake back into the wild, as there are chances it could be venomous or not native to the UK, meaning it may die. I’d recommend calling an expert.

“There are only three snakes indigenous to UK, which are the adder, smooth snake and grass snake.

“We tend to get a lot of calls where someone has discovered a snake in this sort of situation.”