A cobra bit and killed a Chinese chef - 20 minutes after its head was cut off.

According to the report in the UK's Mirror, chef Peng Fan has been preparing a delicacy made from the Indochinese spitting cobra, but when he threw the cobra's head into the bin, it bit him.

According to police the chef died before he could get to hospital for an anti-venom injection.

Diners who were eating at the restaurant at the time remember hearing screams from the kitchen.

According to Snake expert Yang Hong-Chang, "It is perfectly possible that the head remained alive and bit Peng's hand. By the time a snake has lost its head, it’s effectively dead as basic body functions have ceased, but there is still some reflexive action.

"It means snakes have the capability of biting and injecting venom even after the head has been severed."