Grilled snake ‘freaks’ takeaway boss

AN Indian takeaway owner has spoken of his shock after a three-foot long snake was captured trying to get into his business.

Abdul Musharof was returning to Swaad on Regent Street in Haslingden when local taxi drivers warned him there was a large snake on the loose.

The 27-year-old said everybody was ‘freaked out’ after seeing the black and white snake slither along the pavement before dropping through a grill in the pavement.

Police officers were called to the scene and spent around two hours trying to capture the snake before later handing it over to the RSPCA.

Mr Musharof told the Free Press: “I was coming back from a delivery and then I saw all the cars on the taxi rank parked a bit funny.

“One of the drivers then started screaming to me ‘stop, stop, there’s a snake’. I saw it just creeping onto the kerb towards the restaurant.

“Everyone was flashing their lights at the snake and it must have been quite annoyed. It started moving and trying to get away and went into the grill. We tried to get it out but we couldn’t find it.

“The police had to go into the restaurant and get into the grill through the ●● Abdul Musharof outside the Swaad indian restaurant on Regent Street in Haslingden where a large snake tried to get in through the grill cellar. It went on for about two hours. Apparently it’s the second time there’s been a snake on the loose around here.

“We didn’t know if it was poisonous or not. It could’ve been any kind of snake. That’s why everybody was freaked out.”

The incident happened at around 11.45pm on Saturday, July 9.

Police watch liaison officer Anthony Ford said: “The snake remains an unidentified species.”