A solicitor arrived at work yesterday morning to discover a snake in her office — and, believing it was toy, was moments away from placing it on her colleague’s chair.
When Janet Reid of Clyde Defence Lawyers in Dumbartonshire saw the snake (pictured above) she thought it was some sort of office prank, with her first reaction to continue the joke. But the reality of the situation dawned on her when fellow partner Philip Lafferty gave the snake a prod and discovered it was no toy.
Speaking to Legal Cheek this morning, Lafferty said that the snake “looked like a tassel off a hat or something, but after a closer look I realised it was a snake.”
He added: “Having been a defence lawyer for 25 years in the Clydebank area I’ve dealt with a few slippery customers in my time, but now I guess I’ve met the real thing.”
It has since been confirmed that the snake is a corn snake, which bites but is not venomous and is frequently kept as a pet. The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), which is currently looking after the snake at the Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre, believes it may have escaped from a flat nearby to the firm.
Image by the SSPCA