COPS were called in after a shaken mum claimed her son was chased by a giant snake at a park.
The mother said her terrified lad was at footy training when the “very big” reptile suddenly appeared and lunged and hissed at him.
He fled the Milton pitches in Inverness and raced home to tell his mum about the scary encounter.
She went to the police who got animal experts at the Scottish SPCA to lead a hunt for the scaly intruder.
The mum, who we’re not naming, said: “Beware. Please be aware there is a snake roaming about.
“My son has just been chased by it on his way out of the park. He only clocked it after it started hissing at him then coming towards him.
“ It appeared to be very big so not sure if it’s someone’s pet snake that has managed to escape.”
It was claimed the boy heard a hissing noise and when he turned around the snake leapt towards him.
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A relative of the kid said: “My poor nephew was traumatised.”
But locals shot down the claims and accused the boy and his mum of making the story up.
Social media experts claimed the snake would have been slowed down by the cold weather and would not have been able to lunge at anyone.
The mortified mum added: “All I wanted to do was alert people to the safety aspect of what had happened because it’s a busy park.
“And I thought it might help the owner find their snake if it was lost.”
Cops said they were “made aware” of the snake encounter and asked the Scottish SPCA to step in.
It's thought the snake vanished right after it was spotted and hasn't been seen again.
Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn, said, “We received a report to our helpline yesterday evening of a snake sighting.
“Adders are the only venomous snake in the UK. Females can grow up to 750mm and males are normally slightly smaller.
“Adders come out of hibernation in spring so it would be unusual for one to be active at this time of year, and it could be that the snake spotted last night is a domestic pet.
“Pet snakes are somewhat notorious for being escape artists and can find tiny spaces in their enclosure to squeeze through.
“Encountering an exotic snake is highly unusual.”
Anyone who does come across a snake is warned to stay away and call the Scottish SPCA helpline on 03000 999 999.
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