Snake found in toilet bowl

QUEDGELEY, England, June 17 (UPI) -- A Quedgeley, England, woman said she was terrified when a 4-foot snake appeared in the bowl of her toilet.

Kay Robins said she immediately locked herself in the bathroom after spotting the reptile to protect her three-month-old daughter, who was sleeping in a nearby room, The Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.

"My heart was in my mouth. I couldn't scream because I was so scared," Robins said.

She said she and her fiance attempted to flush the snake back down the toilet, but it refused to go back the way it came and crawled out onto the bathroom floor.

Robins, 26, said the couple was able to trap the snake under a bin until emergency crews from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals arrived and took custody of the reptile, which was identified as a non-venomous Californian King Snake. Officials said the snake may have crawled through the sewers from a neighbor's home.

"I couldn't believe it," Robins said. "What on earth was a snake from California doing in my bathroom? Needless to say I couldn't use the lavatory for a while after that!"