A woman is being inundated with calls from people scared a large python is going to attack their pets or children - even though she doesn't have a snake. She even had a call from a man who wanted to talk to her about his trouser snake.
The woman, who has asked not to be named, has been getting calls after posters started appearing asking for help to find a 19-year-old python that escaped from a glass tank on Friday. But the woman has no idea why her mobile number has been included on the poster.
The poster states that there is a £100 reward for information and asks anyone who can help to call "Ivy" and a mobile phone number is listed, reports LancsLive.
The woman says she has had phone from concerned pet owners who are worried the snake will eat their cats to a man making inappropriate sexual comments. The woman is now appealing for the owner to come forward so that the snake can be found and any tips or sightings can be directed to the correct person.
She said: "I have had people calling me asking if it's safe for their children to go outside and play and I have had people worried about letting their cats go out. I can't switch my phone off as some of my family live in other countries but I'm getting calls early in the morning and late at night. I've even had one man called to tell me he has found the snake, in his trousers. Others have called asking if it will hurt their small dog.
"I have tried calling vets to see if they know anything about it but they didn't. I think it's a hoax but I'm worried that they might have put the wrong number on and there could be a missing snake. I want to be helpful and I would rather it be a mistake than someone has done it on purpose. If that's the case it's very distressing and I want to know why my number has been put on it. It's strange."
A spokeswoman for Cumbria police said: "We were contacted yesterday and September 12 however, it was recorded as for police’s information as those reporting had seen posters, no incident or crime has been recorded. The caller was advised to contact the RSPCA."
The poster reads: "Missing, 19-year-old Burmese Python has escaped from it's tank on Friday near Murell Hill. If you see or hear anything please call. She is a beloved member of our family and we are worried for her safety on the roads."
