A MAN was left terrified when he found a live animal inside the broccoli he'd bought during his weekly shop at Aldi.
Neville Linton, 63, found a young ladder snake inside the vegetable after it had sat in his fridge for three days.
The reptile, which is capable of inflicting a nasty bite, was hidden inside the stems.
Neville had bought the veg from his local branch in Dudley before making the "frightening" discovery.
The granddad didn't spot the snake when he unpacked his shopping – leaving it there for days until he unwrapped the broccoli to make a meal.
Terrified of snakes he said: "It was pretty frightening.
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"I'm not good with snakes. It's lucky I didn't just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen, or it would have been loose in the house.
"That would have been a huge risk for us because we have two vulnerable people living here."
Getting help from family members, Neville was able to put the animal into a tub and take it back to Aldi.
It was then taken to nearby Dudley Zoo where its identity was revealed.
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Neville's son Donovan, 41, said his dad has been offered compensation for the horror.
However, Neville claims "it's just not good enough" as he has a disabled son and his vulnerable mother-in-law living with him.
He added: "The implications for us if it had got out in the house are huge.
"Plus, I'm phobic of snakes so there's the emotional impact of that too."
An Aldi spokesperson said: "Our supplier has never had a complaint of this nature and has robust processes in place to prevent such issues occurring.
"We are investigating this isolated incident and have apologised to Mr Linton that our usual high standards were not met."
This type of snake is commonly found in Portugal, Spain, southern France and Italy.
Despite not being venomous, they can become aggressive if they feel threatened.
What are ladder snakes?
Ladder snakes are most common in southwestern Europe.
The reptile is usually found in bushy areas, orchards, vineyards, hedges and sometimes overgrown parts of walls.
The largest ladder snake reported was 160cm long.
They mainly eat mice, rabbits, spiders and insects.
Ladder snakes are most active during the day – but in the summer months can become nocturnal.
They are not venomous but can turn aggressive and snap if they feel threatened.
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