A python is on the loose in Tovil, near Maidstone.

But its owner assures everyone that five-year-old Bonny is not dangerous.

Gary McCarthy from Courtenay Road said his 3ft pet disappeared on Tuesday and he was "going out of my mind" with worry.

He said: "I have turned my reptile house upside down but she's nowhere to be seen.

"I'm really worried now that she has got out of the reptile house as the doors have been open due to the heat.

"It will kill me if she has gone missing, I've had her since she was a bubba."

He said pet owners had nothing to fear. "About the biggest thing she would eat would be a sparrow."

In any case she usually eats only once a month.

Pythons can travel several miles in a day "if they really feel like it", but mostly Bonny liked to stay in one place and not move at all - especially in hot weather.

The correct way to pick up the Royal Mojave python is by approaching from the front, placing one hand underneath at the front and another near the rear. Alternatively pick her up with a stick in the middle.

The python is said to be very docile and has never hurt anyone - but Mr McCarthy warned that its was feeding time when she disappeared.

Bonny has a bone-shaped marking on the bottom of her head.

It is not the first time a snake has been out of its enclosure in Kent. Last year, a 14ft python was seen on a cricket ground in Sittingbourne, where its owner was giving it some air.

If you find Bonny, you can contact her owner through Facebook here or phone Mr McCarthy on 07876 822290.

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