Dog walker is stunned to discover one of Europe’s longest snakes in London – and nearby zoo says it isn’t one of theirs

A dog walker was left stunned after discovering one of Europe’s longest snakes in central London.

Chris Kutler, 59, was worried that the Aesculapian snake, a type of rat snake, was missing from London Zoo after he spotted it while out for a stroll.

Chris was walking along the Regents Canal towpath on Thursday when his dog stopped to look at something in the grass.

He was shocked to discover a dark grey snake, which he said was ‘too big’ to be an adder or grass snake.

After calling a friend to help identify it, he was relieved to discover that despite not being native to the UK the animals are not venomous or aggressive.