A VET from Little Clacton has hit headlines across the world after saving the life of a pet python that had swallowed a pair of barbecue tongs in Australia.

Owner Aaron Rouse, of Adelaide, was feeding a rat to his snake Winston when it swallowed the tongs.

The pet reptile was taken to Dr Oliver Funnell, a veterinarian at Adelaide University, who is originally from Little Clacton.

An x-ray revealed the tongs were lodged in the snake’s stomach.

Dr Funnell, 46, a former Engaines Primary School and Tendring Technology College pupil, decided to operate on the snake as it was thought Winston would be unable to regurgitate the tongs without causing internal injuries.

He added: “Snakes do have an ability to regurgitate food if they change their mind, but I was not sure if Winston was going to be able to regurgitate these even if he tried.

“These are made out of a pressed metal, the edges are relatively sharp.

"With reptiles, you have to make an incision between the scales and we just made it over the big end because that was further away from some of the vital organs like the heart and the lungs.

“We were able to remove them quite easily once we got the big end out."

Winston is reported to be recovering well from the operation.

Dr Funnell’s mother Hazel, of Holland Road, Little Clacton, said: “We didn’t see him on the news, but Oliver emailed me to say he had carried out the operation and that after that it went crazy.

“He contacted the Adelaide news for a bit of good publicity for the university, but then it went mad.

“He was contacted by CNN and had Reuters calling up – it was such a quirky story.”