A LANDLORD was physically sick after finding one of his homes left riddled with dead snakes, animal faeces and flies by tenants from hell.

John Stark forced entry to his four-bedroom property in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, on Saturday after the family of five did a runner over Christmas.

6 Dead snakes were left in the house Credit: Tom Farmer - The Sun

The couple, who we are not naming, lived at the property for five years with their three kids before racking up an £8,000 rent bill over the past 12 months.

Already out of pocket, John, 55, was horrified to discover his pad had been turned into a house of horrors.

And he now fears for the kids who were left to roam the feces and urine riddled mess.

The self-employed plumber, who owns Allied Plumbing and Roofing Services, said: "Those children must have been walking around on cat and dog dirt everywhere, and their beds were horrible.

"We found huge tubs full of dead snakes and they had been breeding rats to feed them.

"It's your worst nightmare to walk in to.

6 John, pictured with son Liam, was physically sick after discovering the mess Credit: Tom Farmer - The Sun

6 The family did a runner over Christmas Credit: Tom Farmer - The Sun

"I'm a plumber and I have a strong stomach. I've seen a lot but the things in that house made me physically sick.

"They'll do the same in another house and it's the children who will continue to suffer."

Grim footage shows one bedroom complete with Hello Kitty curtains and a football overrun by a mess of snake boxes, a soiled mattress and cigarette ends.

A filthy bunk bed in another room is surrounded by empty crisp packets and rubbish, broken furniture and a radiator hanging from the wall.

6 The house was full of dead snakes, animal poo and flies Credit: Tom Farmer - The Sun

6 John and Liam were forced to clear the mess Credit: Tom Farmer - The Sun

And one distressing picture shows a dead snake rotting in a box surrounded by flies.

Up to 50 plastic tubs were retrieved in total, but the number of animals inside them remains unknown at this time.

Devastated John fears he will now be put out of business because of the £15,000 repairs needed to restore the property.

The dad of two said: "It could put me out of the game.

6 He is fearful the £15k repairs will put him out of business Credit: Tom Farmer - The Sun

"It's going to cost me at least £10,000-£15,000 to make it presentable for any future tenants.

"I had always planned on the money I made in rent to be my pension.

"You hear all of these things about landlords from hell, but it's these tenants who have left my house in pieces."

John said he now feels like an "idiot" for trying to help the family while they still owed him thousands of pounds.

He said: "It's always the landlord that gets the bad press, and it's just not on.

"I'm not a bad guy.

"I had to message them every month for rent, but it usually arrived a week or two late.

"Then it stopped altogether about a year ago.

"I was up a few months ago to ask about rent and the mum was crying saying she didn't even have enough to feed her kids.

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"She owed me thousands but I felt awful for her so I went into my pocket and gave her £20 to get the kids a McDonalds or something.

"Now I feel like an idiot."

The plumber has now called in cops and the Scottish SPCA over the horror find.

A police spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the matter and are looking into it."

Scottish SPCA chief inspector John Chisholm added: "We can confirm we did attend the property.

"As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment any further at this time."