Wildlife experts were called out after a woman mistook a fake snake for the real thing.

The Scottish SPCA said she had spotted the toy during a trip to Green Street Park in Forfar, Angus, but had been too afraid to approach it.

They initially believed it may have been an escaped cornsnake that had been savaged by a local pet.

Animal rescue officer Coreen Hill said: "I expected to be met with a cornsnake that had been attacked by a cat or dog, but instead I discovered it was made of plastic.

"The caller believed they had spotted a snake in the distance whilst at the park and was too scared to get any closer to investigate.

"They could only tell that it wasn't moving and had its mouth open. This job can be very tough as we deal with severely injured animals on a daily basis, so it's quite nice when something like this makes us smile."

It is not the first time the Scottish SPCA has dealt with a case of mistaken identity this year.

Ms Hill added added: "Earlier in the year one of my colleagues responded to a report of an injured bat on a bin but when she arrived she discovered the bat was, in fact, a plastic toy.

"Although incidents like these are false alarms, it's always better to be safe than sorry."