WHEN carrying out any job, you should always expect the unexpected.

But for a set of council health and safety officers, their day took an unexpected turn as they found a deadly Boa constrictor in a box at a Southampton tower block.

The shocked city council employees had been carrying out a routine checks in Oslo Towers, on International Way when they made the surprising discovery on Friday.

The snake, which squeezes its prey to death, was found in the stairwell on the 10th floor and was then taken to Southampton Reptile Centre, before it was collected by the RSPCA.

A member of staff for the reptile centre said the snake was “big, around six foot long” and he was surprised to see a boa when he opened the mysterious package.

The RSPCA were unable to confirm the sex of the snake but told the Daily Echo it was “in good health”.

Residents spoke of their shock at hearing a snake had been found in the premises.

One, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Knowing that a snake was just lying around in the building is terrifying.

“It sounds like a massive snake and it’s not something that you really expect to hear about.”

Boa constrictors are renowned as effective killers, coiling around their prey and squeezing the life out of their victims.

In some instances, the snake will then swallow its victim whole..

It makes them a particular danger to young children and pets.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said the snake was currently being cared for at a centre in Dorset but would be moved to another base in Sussex, which specialises in reptiles.

She added: “Unfortunately, abandoned reptiles is something we see a lot. We are finding that many people are unaware of how much of a commitment these animals are when they take them on, which we believe may be why we are rescuing hundreds of reptiles every year – and this number appears to be on the increase.

“The main thing we want to stress to people who are thinking about bringing an exotic pet into their family is to research the needs of the animal thoroughly and make sure that you can provide everything that animal needs for the animal’s entire life.”

A spokesperson for the council said investigations into the animals’ owner were ongoing.

Warwick Payne, ward councillor for Woolston, said in the 10 years he has been spokesperson for Labour on housing issues, he had never heard of a large snake being found in a council property.

He added: “The council regularly inspects properties and have a dedicated team of neighbourhood wardens who are the eyes and ears for the estates they serves. I’ve never come across something like this. But whether it’s a large snake, a blocked drain or a faulty doors, when we spot it we do something about it.”