How did an 18ft python end up dead on a country road?

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But yesterday on a country road in North Yorkshire it was going nowhere fast.

A man out walking his dog got the shock of his life when he stumbled upon its body.

Baffled police are trying to find out how the fully grown reptile wound up in the village of Cloughton near Scarborough, a million miles from its natural habitat.

Ann Tindall, who lives nearby and also spotted the snake, said: "It was a real surprise to see it. You just cannot believe that something like this could be found somewhere like Scarborough.

"We measured it and it came to about 17.7ft."

Police said the snake had started to decompose by the time it was discovered, and environmental

After analysing the photo, one reptile expert said the snake was probably an African rock python.

Inspector Simon Lovell, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "We have no idea where it came from. The suggestion has been made that maybe it had outgrown somebody and been dumped as a result or dumped after it died.

"More inquiries will be made into the matter. Certainly there are no signs that it has been deliberately killed."

Over a million people in England own an exotic reptile.

Snakes are becoming increasingly popular as pets, although many owners underestimate the difficulties of looking after them.