FIREFIGHTERS got a shock last night when a 40-year-old mum wandered into their Amersham station with a 4ft royal python stuck in her bracelet.

Crew manager Kieron Hall managed to release the snake using a ring-cutter and said: "The first question I asked was, is the snake venomous? The answer was no. I also asked if he was likely to bite me, and again the answer was no."

Samantha Brooks, of Hundred Acres Lane, had been showing her pet snake, called Prince, to her nephew and niece when he got caught in her silver bangles on her wrist.

She said: “He got himself well and truly wedged. I wasn't scared but it was getting tighter and tighter and my hand started going numb and blue.

“I knew the fire station would have some bolt cutters and it was only about three minutes drive away.”

“My friend gave me a lift to the fire station and we just walked straight in. I think we made the man jump a bit, but fortunately he didn't have a fear of snakes.”

Miss Brooks lives with son Connor, seven, who goes to St Mary's CofE Primary School, and daughter Kaitlyn, 11, who attends The Amersham School.

The family have had Prince for about four years and Miss Brooks added: “He's usually very lovely and placid and doesn't tend to do a lot”.

Prince, who was unharmed, was stuck for about 40 minutes in total, though firefighter Hall took just two minutes to free him.

He added: "I was very pleased that both the snake and its owner were unscathed."