In a startling incident, Neville Linton, a 63-year-old resident of West Midlands, England, found a snake in a bag of broccoli he purchased from Aldi, sparking considerable alarm given his phobia of snakes. The discovery was particularly distressing for Linton, who works in industrial cleaning, as he worried about the safety of his family, including his disabled son and elderly mother-in-law.
With the help of relatives, Linton managed to secure the snake in a plastic container and returned it to the Aldi store. He received compensation, though he felt the ordeal warranted more due to the emotional distress and potential danger it caused.
Aldi has since addressed the issue, acknowledging the occurrence as an isolated incident and assuring that their supplier has stringent measures to prevent such happenings. They expressed regret that their usual high standards were not met in this case.
The snake, initially thought to be a young ladder snake by Linton’s son, Donovan, was later identified by herpetologist Dr. Steven J. R. Allain as a viperine water snake. Both species are non-venomous and pose no threat to humans. Dr. Allain speculated that the snake might have been accidentally scooped up by agricultural machinery in the field.
This snake has now been relocated to Dudley Zoo. Dr. Allain highlighted the importance of public education on these species to alleviate unnecessary fears and misunderstandings surrounding such creatures.