Shock as snake found on Leighton Buzzard golf course

David Coleman was working at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club on Tuesday morning when he heard a woman’s scream.

He said: “These ladies were screaming. I went down to investigate what was happening and I saw that it was a metre-long grass snake.

“I was absolutely gobsmacked at how long it was.

“After realising that it was a snake, I was looking to check that it hadn’t been feeding, as we have toads and frogs in the pond.

“I googled it to make sure it wasn’t an adder.”

David believes the snake was migrating from one habitat to another when it was seen on the golf course. It struck back several times while a golf club was waved at it.

David said: “The snake had an attitude because the ladies were poking at it. I gave them a little telling off later but they just didn’t know what to do at the time.”

After being left alone, the snake slithered away and has not been back to Leighton Linslade Golf Club since.

Julian Clare of Wrigglies Exotic Pets Store identified the reptile as a grass snake.

He said: “In the event of encountering a snake in the wild, no matter where you are, take a little time to enjoy it as you’ve been very lucky.

“Snakes are generally very shy and secretive. The UK only has one venomous snake – the Adder – and these are of no threat to a healthy person,

“What you should do is simple and that is nothing. The more you interfere with a snake in the wild, the bigger the chance you have of being bitten.

“Even a grass or smooth snake will defend itself if cornered or roughly handled.”