Woman shocked to discover dead snake in road outside Scots train station
A woman was horrified to discover a dead snake lying outside a Scots train station.
Michelle Jamieson discovered the small reptile lying on the road – apparently having been run over – outside Falkirk High station on Thursday night.
She had been picking her friend and her friend's son from the station at around 9.05pm when she made the grim discovery.
Michelle said: 'I parked at the little roundabout outside Falkirk High Station and ran over to get them and their cases.
'My friend's son said 'what the heck is that?'. I quickly looked and said it looked like one of those toy snakes.
'The poor wee thing had its insides coming out. I gently touched it with my foot and it was still soft.'
Unsure what to do, Michelle then took to a local community Facebook page for advice, where users there speculated that it could have been a small Western Hognose snake – a non-native species from North America. Some speculated that it was most likely an escaped pet snake.
Michelle added: 'I didn't have anything in the car to lift it with, but I thought if I put it on a local community page, people might have some information on it.
'I've been back up this morning as I've thought about the wee soul all night. Unfortunately it was away.'
One social media user said: 'I would have dropped dead on the spot!'
Another added: 'That is a Western Hognose. I love these wee guys. Absolutely gutted to see this.'
The snake's origin or its owner remains unknown.
The SSPCA has been contacted.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
14 hours ago
- BBC News
Welshpool mother issues plea to parents after teen's river death
Michelle Guest knew something was seriously wrong when she heard sirens and saw a helicopter flying over her hometown of Welshpool, in her worst nightmares did she expect the emergency crews to be searching for her 15-year-old daughter, Holli receiving a phone call from a friend, Michelle ran across town to the River Severn and stood by the weir, praying that Holli had been carried downstream and was safely on the river bank, waiting to be a few hours later Holli was found 65ft (20m) from where she had entered the water. She was pronounced dead at the scene and her body was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, Shropshire. Holli's family and friends should have celebrated her 16th birthday in June, but instead they are having to gather on 9 August to mark the first anniversary of her death. "Nearly 12 months later and I still can't get my head around it," said Michelle, a mother of seven."I wish she'd never gone down there and I wish somebody would wake me up from this nightmare, but it's not going to happen."She was always happy and very much loved by her friends."Michelle said she had had conversations with Holli about water safety in the past and asked her the day before her death to play safely by the river.A full inquest is yet to be heard, but Michelle said Holli died after getting caught in the backwash of a weir. A friend tried to help her out but could not manage against the force of the water, she said."I don't want any other family to go through what we're going through based on poor choices, just because the water looks inviting."Michelle is now trying to raise awareness about water safety by sharing her own experience on social media and organising fundraising events for charities that educate children about the dangers. Holli's death was one of 193 accidental water-related fatalities in the UK last year, according to the National Water Safety figures suggest that inland waterways, such as rivers, canals and reservoirs, continue to be the leading locations for drownings, accounting for 61% of accidental fatalities in 2024.A dedicated water safety and drowning prevention strategy was brought in by the Welsh government in Safety Wales, a group which brings together organisations including the Welsh government, also aims to cut the number of drowning casualties by promoting "a consistent and common approach to water safety".Its figures show there were 54 water-related fatalities in Wales in 2024, with the figure remaining between 48 and 55 between 2020 and 2023."I plead with all parents to speak with their children so they understand the dangers of water," said Michelle. "It can take a life. It took my Holli and I really don't want another family to suffer."
Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Mum says she was sexually assaulted in mid-air by parasail operator during Tunisia holiday
A British holidaymaker has claimed she was sexually assaulted while parasailing in Sousse, Tunisia. Michelle Wilson, 52, from Southport, Merseyside, says the parasail operator pressed himself against her and groped her mid-air during what should have been a thrilling ride. Michelle had planned to go on a tandem parasail flight with a friend, but was told it was too windy in Tunisia that day and they would have to fly separately, each accompanied by an operator. She said her friend went up first 'and had a great time, with no problems', noting there was plenty of distance between her friend and the operator. However, Michelle's own experience was very different. The mum-of-three said: 'I could feel the back of my bikini bottoms being pulled and he was pulling the strap. He must have been tightening the harness to get me closer. His legs straddled around me, he had one hand up on the parachute, the other wasn't. Then I felt him touch my leg.' She continued: 'He was groping me and moving back and forth into me and talking to me in Arabic. I felt him pressing against me. I kept arching my back. "I felt violated and dirty and was scared. He was only a young lad, maybe around 20. It was a horrible experience and I was really scared. I felt helpless hanging in the air.' Michelle burst into tears after landing and reported the incident to the water sports centre's manager before going to the local police. The £6,000 easyJet package holiday had been booked for Michelle, her 17-year-old daughter, her 16-year-old twin boys, and her daughter's 17-year-old friend. However, she said she felt unable to enjoy the rest of the trip after what happened. She added: 'As women you expect a bit of banter from men in these countries, but this wasn't banter, it was a sexual assault.' Michelle believes her alleged attacker has since been arrested, and that both her insurance firm and the Foreign Office are now involved in the case. An easyJet spokesperson said: 'The safety and wellbeing of our customers is a priority, and we are continuing to support Ms Wilson. We are also liaising closely with our hotel partner to look into the reports.'
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
I was sexually assaulted hundreds of feet in air while on paraglide ride during Tunisia holiday… I felt violated & dirty
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRITISH holidaymaker claims she was sexually assaulted in the air by a paraglide operator. Mum-of-three Michelle Wilson, 52, says the man pressed himself against her and groped her during the thrill ride in Tunisia. 7 Michelle Wilson claims she was sexually assaulted in the air by a paraglide operator Credit: PP. 7 Michelle says the man pressed himself against her and groped her during the thrill ride in Tunisia 7 Michelle was taken on the flight with a young Tunisian operator strapped behind her She said: 'I felt violated and dirty and was scared.' Michelle was taken on the flight with a young Tunisian operator strapped behind her. Footage shows him positioning himself so he was directly behind Michelle, who was wearing a bikini, and pressing up against her. Michelle, from Southport, Merseyside, said: 'I could feel the back of my bikini bottoms being pulled and he was pulling the strap. He must have been tightening the harness to get me closer. 'His legs straddled around me, he had one hand up on the parachute, the other wasn't. Then I felt him touch my leg. 'He was groping me and was moving back and forth into me and was talking to me in Arabic. I felt him pressing against me. 'I kept arching my back. I felt violated and dirty and was scared. He was only a young lad, maybe around 20. 'It was a horrible experience and I was really scared. I felt helpless hanging in the air.' She burst into tears when she landed and complained to the water sports centre's manager, then to the local police. Michelle paid £6,000 for the holiday in Sousse with her daughter, 17, her 16-year-old twin boys and her daughter's friend, also 17. Tunisia and the island of Djerba But she said she felt unable to enjoy the rest of her trip and 'didn't feel safe until I was at home'. She said: 'As women you expect a bit of banter from men in these countries, but this wasn't banter, it was a sexual assault.' Michelle believes her attacker has since been arrested. Her insurance company and the Foreign Office are assisting in the case. EasyJet said: 'The safety and wellbeing of our customers is a priority, and we are continuing to support Ms Wilson. 'We are also liaising closely with our hotel partner to look into the reports.' 7 Michelle said: 'I could feel the back of my bikini bottoms being pulled and he was pulling the strap' 7 Footage shows Michelle on the paraglide ride 7 The Brit mum said she 'didn't feel safe' for the rest of the holiday
