MECHANIC Tim Smith was left grappling with an unusual problem while working on a car at a Winchester garafe when he opened up the bonnet to discover a boa constrictor.

Tim made the discovery at the Martins garage in Winchester.

It was a baby boa constrictor about six months old and four feet long wrapped around the brake fluid reservoir.

Tim said: "I opened the bonnet and looked in and saw something wrapped around the reservoir. At first I thought it might be a scarf.

"I took a second look and you could say I was a bit shocked. I'm not all that keen on snakes."

Luckily the Nissan and Renault dealer has a South African mechanic Michael Watson who knew immediately the snake was harmless. Boas are non-poisonous and kill their prey by crushing them to death. He took it home on Thursday to keep it warm Paul Harris, principal dealer, said: "In 22 years I have never comes across anything like it. You find lots of things but never a live animal in the engine."

They phoned the owner, a woman in Andover, who denied the snake was hers. But it transpired that her neighbour has lost their pet snake. Owner and snake were reunited today.