POLICE were called after a SNAKE was found at the back of a bus.

The TLC-operated single decker 678 bus was in the centre of Shipley, when the unusual incident unfolded at around 11.45am on Saturday. 

A supervisor at the company said: "It was a bit of a panic. Police came straight away - we didn't know if it was a deadly snake or not."

He said the bus had to be evacuated while officers went onboard, but fortunately the creature - thought to be a corn snake - wasn't deadly and measured about 2ft in length. 

Joanne Searle, 47, was driving the bus at the time and said she hadn't been left traumatised by the discovery. 

"I was pretty calm at first. You see a lot of things as a bus driver and you just think 'whatever'. The bus was full, everyone had just got on and I just heard someone say 'I think there's a snake on your bus'. 

"I went up to have a look at it, I wasn't sure what type it was."

She evacuated the bus - not sure at the point if the snake was dangerous or not - and phoned her office and the police.

"I thought that was the quickest and safest thing to do," she said.

"He [the officer] just got on and said it was pretty harmless, he just picked it up and said he would take it to the vet.

"We have bus checks first thing in the morning and it wasn't on then."

She added: "You usually leave an umbrella on a bus - not a snake.

Jason Leach, 47, from Shipley, was on the bus with his mum at the time and said the driver was about to set off when the drama began. 

He said: "We just sat down and a woman came walking past with her kids and went behind us.

"We just heard her shout out 'there's a snake on your bus'. 

"Everyone was like 'did we hear that right?'"

Mr Leach said the woman thought it was a children's toy - until it moved.

He said: "It's not what you expect, it's the last thing you expect to hear.

"We were all shocked. 

"The driver said 'everybody off'. Police came within ten minutes, they were very, very quick. One officer got on, went to the back, picked it up and walked off with it. I thought, 'you're a brave man'". 

West Yorkshire Police's Contact Centre tweeted:"Most unusual call today? Has to go to the bus driver reporting a snake at the back of the bus!!

"Snake has been safely removed and the bus is back on its usual route #noteveryday."

Police confirmed the passengers - and snake - were unharmed.