A walker got a shock when he found a brightly-coloured North American snake wrapped around a tree while he was strolling through woodland.

Robert Dance was in woods near Sandy Lane, Diss, when he made the unusual discovery.

"I found it completely still but wrapped around the bottom of a tree," he said.

"I poked it with a stick to see if it was alive and then it started moving."

The creature was a corn snake, which is found in the wild in parts of the US but is also a popular pet. It is not dangerous.

Eastern Daily Press: The snake was rescued by another member of the public.The snake was rescued by another member of the public. (Image: Samantha Hatch)

It is not known how the animal ended up in the Diss woods but it comes at a time when animal rescue experts have warned of the large numbers of pets being abandoned because owners are struggling to pay to keep them, due to the cost of living crisis.

Earlier this month, a bearded dragon was found by a dog walker dumped at the side of a road near Harleston.

The snake was rescued by another member of the public who planned to take it to Swallow Aquatics in East Harling.