A driver was forced to pull over into the services after a large snake was found hanging out of the dashboard of his car.
The unusual tale was explained by a 24-hour emergency rescue service based in Burton-upon-Trent on Friday. Linjoy Wildlife Sanctuary and Rescue described the details of a man delivering a vehicle from a car dealership ended up hitching a corn snake ride alongside him.
The driver contacted the rescue service where two employees met him to remove the snake from the vehicle, only for it to slither under the seat and out of reach.
It meant dismantling the passenger seat from its fitting, including the carpet and trimming, to get access to the reptile, which had wrapped itself around the electric looms.
The two employees eventually managed to coax the snake from its position and rescued the reptile, despite it trying to bite one of the helpers. The animal has since made a full recovery.
A statement on the Linjoy Wildlife Sanctuary and Rescue's Facebook page read: "A few days ago we were called after a gentleman was delivering a car to Melton Mowbray from a car dealership in Tipton.
"He had pulled over at the services on the A38 near Willington after he noticed a corn snake hanging from the dashboard!"
It continued: "The carpet, plastic trims and the passenger side seat all had to be removed to get access as it ended up going inside the interior and wrapping itself around the electrical looms.
"With me securing the tail end and mid section, Mark finally got to the head (tried to bite him) and the snake was encouraged out."
The statement concluded: "No one seems to know how it ended up in the vehicle. The car was at a dealership in Tipton and was valeted a few days before locally. It was then driven from the dealer presumably with the snake hitching a ride.
"The snake was very cold and must have been in there for a few days. He’s now doing well and is much more active and has an attitude."
It comes after a horrified litter picker discovered four live pythons inside two pillowcases dumped by the side of the road earlier this month.
Maria Clutterbuck, 54, initially thought she had found two bags of sand on Chosen Way in Hucclecote, Gloucester on Good Friday but a closer inspection found she could not be more wrong.
The pillowcases in fact contained four huge pythons and it's believed the snakes would have died if they had not been found.
Maria, an online vintage business owner who carries out daily litter picks, said: "Originally I thought they were sandbags, but there had been no road works recently. Then I realised they were cable-tied pillowcases and I think then my gut instinct knew something alive was inside.
"My first thought was that the bags might contain puppies or kittens. But I had a feel of the curves and it felt like snakeskin."
