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Worker finds five foot snake in van
Image corn snake
A red corn snake, similar to the one found in the hire van.
Hired van contains a large surprise

A 5ft long snake has caused a stir after slithering into a hired van. The North American red corn snake was found by a stunned worker who had hired the van to move some mattresses.

Steve Potter, 40, who works at bedding firm J Rosenthal in Bury, told the Telegraph he was in "complete and utter disbelief" when he opened the van to find the reptile.

It is believed the snake may have been left behind by somebody who had previously hired the van to move house.

Bury Van Hire called in reptile expert Joe McQuade, also known as Crocodile Joe, to rescue the animal.

Joe, 45, told the Telegraph: "He's gorgeous. Whoever owns him will be really missing him I imagine. These animals are great escape-artists and owners need to be responsible.

"They often get free and it's only a matter of time before a venomous snake gets out and something bad happens."

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Voting opens for BEVA Council

News Story 1
 Eligible members of BEVA will be able to vote for their Council team until Monday, 17 August 2026. Members will have received an election email on 17 July.

There are five candidates standing for four available places on Council. They are:

  • Alexandre Triguino
  • Angela Jones
  • Beth Bryant
  • Holly Rees
  • Hugh Somerville
Full profiles for each candidate can be found on the BEVA website

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Government releases latest bluetongue statistics

APHA has confirmed the number of bluetongue cases that have been logged in the UK since 1 July 2026.

The total number of BTV-3 cases, as of 6 August, is 187. This includes 183 cases in England and four cases in Wales.

There have been no recorded cases in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The location of premises in Great Britain where at least one animal has tested positive by PCR for BTV-3, BTV-8 or BTV-12 is available on the bluetongue case map. All livestock keepers in Great Britain are urged to familiarise themselves with nation-specific bluetongue control policies.

Bluetongue virus is a notifiable disease. It is a legal requirement that any suspicions, even if livestock has been vaccinated, are reported immediately.