A TWO-Foot long grass snake was rescued from a pond in Centre Drive, Epping, after becoming trapped in netting.

Epping Forest Council animal warden Lyn Cook managed partially to free the snake and then took it to a veterinary cenre where the rest of the netting was removed.

The snake was badly bruised but had avoided more serious injuries.

Lyn said: "A couple of the residents were very alarmed fearing that the snake could be poisonous. However the majority of snakes seen in the UK are usually grass snakes, such as this one, which are completely harmless."

They can be recognised by their usually greenish brown colour, vertical black bars on their body and yellow band around their head. Adders, which are the only indigenous poisonous snake, are often grey or brown, although the females vary in colour between black and sandy brown, all with a fairly distinctive zig-zag pattern along their backs.

Lyn added: "Snakes are very passive creatures, even adders, unless provoked. So our advice if you come across a snake is to leave it alone and it will leave you alone.

"All snakes are protected species in this country and as such should never be harmed and can only be removed from their environment in order to receive veterinary treatment."

Anyone who finds a sick or injured wild animal can ring the council's animal welfare team on 01992 564077.