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We've adder bit of bother with this slippery customer, sarge...

Police ended a tense one-hour standoff with a snake seen lurking in a suburban garden – after a neighbour pointed out it was just a painted ornament.

Officers were called to the scene early in the morning after a passer-by alerted the RSPCA to an adder on the loose.

They cornered the suspect on a patio area outside a block of flats in Sutton, south London, and kept their distance as they watched it for any sudden movements – of which, of course, there were none.

A police spokesman said: “Officers refused to be rattled. It wasn’t moving but they can stay still for a long time. It seemed to have blended in with the colour of its surroundings, as if for its own protection.”

The scales of justice were confounded when officers made enquiries with residents who said it was a garden ornament.

Officers were sent to the scene at 6.30am last Friday as it was out of hours for RSPCA inspectors. Chief Insp Julian Hagley said: “The consequences of not attending might have resulted in concern from residents.”

But resident Gary Hollins, 43, said: “I could have told you it was a fake snake because the paint is peeling off it.”