A CORONATION Street star was given a sleepless night when a four-foot long snake made a shock appearance as he was brushing his teeth before bedtime.

Harry Visinoni, who plays Seb Franklin, saw the colourful snake poking her head from behind the toilet in the Hale home he shares with girlfriend Ellie Isaac in the early hours of Saturday morning.

And while his character has faced some tough situations on the cobbles – including helping to bring villain Pat Phelan to justice after uncovering two bodies – Harry was not prepared for the drama that would unfold in his own home.

He made a swift getaway from the room, firmly shutting the door behind him, before returning with Ellie and watching in disbelief as the royal python slithered onto the toilet seat.

Harry said: “I was just brushing my teeth and saw what looked like a snake head pop from behind the wall at the back of the toilet. 

“I didn’t take it in at first and then looked again and realised what I had actually seen so I left the bathroom quickly and closed the door.

“We went back in and watched as the snake then slithered onto the top of the toilet and sat on the seat just looking at us.”

The pair left to decide what was the best course of action to take, and when they returned an hour later there was no sign of the snake.

Knutsford Guardian:

The royal python on her 'throne'

Harry used some cardboard and stuck it to the wall near to where the snake appeared, before closing the bathroom door and using a draft excluder to stop the reptile venturing any further.

After a sleepless night – in which Harry admits dreaming about the snake – the pair contacted the RSPCA and animal rescuer Sonia Hulme was sent to the scene.

She managed to locate the royal python, which is a fairly docile species but can bite when threatened, behind the radiator in the bathroom. 

It is thought the female snake had belonged to the previous owner of the flat, who sadly died a few months ago.

Sonia said: “She was quite feisty and really didn’t want to come away from the radiator – so I managed to unscrew the top part and as it dropped forward. 

“Harry caught the radiator and I managed to hold the tail of the snake using a pillowcase covering my hands which I safely managed to get her into.

“I thought it was quite apt that this royal python was found on the throne – and as she is a female we thought it would be appropriate to call her Lulu. 

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“We suspect she escaped months ago and probably lived in the wall cavity – but thankfully snakes can often survive with long gaps between meals. She is in really good condition and is certainly feeding well now.”

Lulu is now in the care of the RSPCA where she will be looked after by a specialist reptile keeper.

Ellie said: “We were so grateful to the RSPCA who came out really quickly and the inspector was great at getting the snake out safely.

“We really support what the charity does and we are pleased Lulu is now in safe hands.”