MUM-of-three Karen Mawer was left trembling on the toilet when she glanced in front of her - and saw a snake in the bath!

Karen's Monday morning blues suddenly turned into a red alert as, flushed with fright, she screamed for help.

The terrified 29-year-old, of Rivington Road, Chorley, could not believe it.

She said: "I've not got a phobia against snakes, or anything, but when you wake up in the morning and there's one in your bath . . .

"You wouldn't believe the scream I let out. It was looking as if it was going to come out of the bath. It was probably the most frightening thing that's happened to me."

Karen's boyfriend Dave Cotton, aged 32, who was downstairs having breakfast with the children, Natasha, nine, Rozalind, seven and Rowan 16 months, rushed to help.

She continued: "I ran round upstairs and went to calm the kids down because they were getting a bit hyper with it as well."

Karen tried to ring the RSPCA and eventually got in touch with Chorley Police - but not before she dialled the wrong number in blind panic and got through to a doctor's surgery.

"This woman said 'are you sure you're not dreaming love?'" said Grimsby-born Karen.

The police arranged for Chorley Pets on Pall Mall to deal with the my-hsss-tery visitor.

Brave boss Lynne Thompson, who lives nearby, arrived and got to work.

She said: "The police rang me to say this lady had found a snake in her bath and she seemed to be in a bit of a panic.

"I rang her and she said 'please come, my kids won't go to the toilet and my husband's stood over it.'

"At first I thought it was a boa constrictor, but I didn't get a good look at it.

"I put it in a pillow case and took it home to have a proper look and it bit me. It's not friendly at all."

The snake, now residing at the pet shop, is thought to be either a rat or corn snake.

"If someone could claim it as soon as possible I would be grateful," said Lynne.

Karen, who is still baffled as to how the roaming reptile got in the bath, said: "I've had the plug in the plug hole all day. I didn't take it out just in case."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.