A STORY about a dead snake discovered in a Haworth car park has taken a bizarre twist.

Wildlife biologist Dr Toni Bunnell found the adder on the bonnet of a Land Rover parked in the Bronte Parsonage car park on August 5.

She took the snake away, thinking it had been caught nearby by a bird then dropped. But it turns out the snake died more than a hundred miles from Haworth!

A former Haworth man, now living in County Durham, has revealed how the adder arrived in Haworth.

The man, who does not wish to be named, explained: "A neighbour of mine found the adder dead on the road near the Cumbria County Durham border.

"He thought I'd be interested to see it, so left it on the bonnet of my Land Rover.

"I saw it when I came home, and realised he'd left it there because I'm interested in wildlife.

"I had an early start the next day driving to Haworth, and forgot the adder was on the bonnet.

"I soon realised it was there, but thought it would fall off. However, 140 miles later the stubborn serpent was still there, drawing some curious glances from other motorists!"

He said he left his vehicle in the car park, then returned later to find the snake gone.

"I was a little disappointed, because I'd grown quite attached to that snake," he said.

The initial Keighley News story about the adder prompted Keighley ecological surveyor Paul Redmond to encourage people to inform him of any local reptile sightings. People can e-mail wildUK@ymail.com to contact him.