Snake gives tourists a shock

A German couple on holiday in southeast France were understandably shocked to find a 2m snake had taken up residence in their car.

The tourists called police when they discovered the reptile - identified as a Montpellier snake - basking in the sun on the passenger side dashboard of their vehicle, which was in a car park in the Var town of La Croix-Valmer.

After a perimeter zone had been set up, a local police officer grabbed the animal, put it in a bag and released it into a nearby wood a short time later.

Montpellier snakes are relatively common along the Mediterranean coast. They are mildly venomous, but their bites are not usually dangerous to humans. The one that took a break in the couple's car was a fully grown adult, that would have weighed about 1.5kg.