A father-of-two got the shock of his life when he woke up in bed to discover a snake slithering up his legs.

The surprise bedfellow was found by Iain Robertson as he lay in bed at his home in Foulsham, where he lives with his wife Candi and two sons.

He was alerted of the rogue reptile's presence by loyal cat Socks, who was hissing and ready to pounce on it.

The 56-year-old said: "After hearing the cat hissing I woke up and then felt something move across my legs.

"I threw the duvet off and saw what looked like a piece of cord but then it started moving and looking at me.

"It was a bit worrying to find him in bed with me."

The family do not know where the creature - an albino corn snake now known as Clive - is from, or how it got into the house.

Mr Robertson, a night manager for Tesco, made the shocking discovery on Monday morning, after going to bed after a late shift.

But the family believes it could have been hiding in the property for days, as the cat had been acting strangely for some time.

Mr Robertson put the cold-blooded creature, estimated to be around three-feet long, into a Tupperware box with holes in and popped it in the airing cupboard to keep warm.

Wife Candi couldn't believe her husband's story when he told her what happened.

"The snake probably had more of a fright than my husband" said Mrs Robertson, adding: "We've had birds and bats come inside but never something like this.

"Our cat had been acting strangely for about a week, staring fixated at something in the bedroom, so he had probably been in the bedroom for some time.

"In hindsight, it may have even been under the covers when I went to sleep Sunday night.

"We've checked under the bed and in all the cupboards just in case Clive may have brought some friends along."

After failing to find the owner, the couple took Clive to Wild Touch, a wildlife rescue service based in Walcott.

Jessica Walsh of Wild Touch said: "The snake wasn't looking for dinner but just somewhere to hide and stay warm.

"He is very lucky to have found somewhere safe as they can often end up in wall cavities.

"He is a beautiful snake, an albino corn snake, and is recovering well."

Socks, on the other hand, is still recovering from the ordeal.

"She still seems traumatised," added Mrs Robertson, "but with a bit of counselling, she'll be fine."