Imagine exploring your bathroom in the dark, only to be told later the 'piping' you grabbed was in fact an eight foot long snake known to kill humans.

Well, if you can't, then just ask Stuart Saunders who went through the astounding experience this week after a huge reticulated python slithered its way into his flat through the toilet.

The Exeter man told Devon Live of his utter shock after being told he had been handling the huge, potentially-dangerous animal.

Because of his disability, Stuart Saunders was mostly oblivious to the silent danger lurking inside his Market Street flat, in the city centre until a support worker came to help.

The eight foot reticulated python in Stuart Saunders' bathroom

And, worryingly, where the Reticulated python - which at full-size can be deadly - came from remains a complete mystery.

Stuart, who has been blind since birth, explained how the incredible scenes unfolded at around 10pm on Sunday, July 29.

"I was laying in my reclining chair listening to my music when the next minute I heard 'crash! crash!' and things began falling in the bathroom.

"After a while I went into the bathroom to pick them up, I thought the wind from the window may have blown them over.

"A toothbrush and glass, a bottle of bleach and shampoo had all fallen down. When I picked them up I noticed this thing on the floor, like insulation had come up.

"I went forward and picked it up but it was too heavy.

"I rang my support worker on the intercom and said 'I've got a bit of mess ' and over they came. My mate Jason said, 'you've got a snake in your bathroom.'

"We rang the police, they rang the RSPCA, but it was Exeter Exotics who came over and caught it for us.

"It left the bathroom in an awful mess, with gunge on the wall. The whole bathroom has to be deep cleaned.

"I have never, ever had a snake in my bathroom. I was so amazed. I thought 'how did that get there?' - Goodness knows, I don't know."

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Before the incident, Stuart had never even handled a reptile - even knowingly.

Reticulated Pythons, originally from South East Asia is the world's longest snake and one of the heaviest.

It's not venomous but constricts its prey which is largely small mammals but has been known to kill and even eat humans.

Stuart's friend and social worker Jason was absolutely gob smacked by the discovery.

Stuart Saunders, 60, in his bathroom

He said: "I walked in and opened the door, thinking a bottle of bleach had fallen on the floor or something and there was this massive snake curled up.

"And I had to actually walk in and out again because I just could not believe it."

Nearby Exeter Exotics is now looking after the python.