Snake on a plane! Police and border agents meet flight after passenger smuggled reptile on board in a takeaway box
- - Corn snake found in container on flight from Tel Aviv to Luton last night
- - Serpent discovered during four and half hour journey from Israel to the UK
- - EasyJet unhappy passenger was able to take the snake through security
- - Passenger was met at the UK gate and later allowed to head home with pet
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Police and border force officers were forced to meet a flight into Britain last night after a snake was smuggled on board inside a takeaway box.
Passengers expressed their shock as the serpent was discovered on the easyJet service from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Luton Airport yesterday evening.
MailOnline understands the authorities were called while the plane was in mid-air and waited at the gate for the jet to land around three hours later.
EasyJet says the people on board were not in danger but has complained to the Israeli airport because they failed to spot the snake during security checks.
Snake on a plane: A Corn Snake was discovered on an easyJet flight to Luton from Tel Aviv last night
Reaction: These passengers tweeted from the plane as the drama unfolded last night - comparing it to a famous Hollywood movie
The majority of passengers saw the funny side, comparing it the famous Hollywood movie 'Snakes on a Plane', which starred Samuel L Jackson.
This 2006 thriller's plot centres around a gangster's plan to crash an aircraft before it arrives in Los Angeles by planting a crate of venomous snakes on board to kill the passengers and crew.
Last night's incident was not as serious, as the reptile found was a non-poisonous corn snake hidden inside a meal box.
It is understood that border staff dealt with the incident and allowed the passenger to leave the airport with the pet.
Blockbuster: Snakes on the plane was released in 2006 but rather than being a poisonous snake it was a harmless harmless corn snake on this occasion, right (file picture)
Passenger Rafi Addleston, tweeted: 'No Samuel L (Jackson), but an actual snake on a plane. Police about to meet @easyJet arriving from Tel Aviv to Luton.'
Another, Michael Harris wrote: 'Just landed at @LDNLutonAirport with @easyJet... Police about to board to arrest guy who bought on a snake on the plane!'
Danielle Stone said: 'Snake on the plane - not your classic Tel Aviv to Luton flight!'
Easyjet said today that the snake was found in a 'small takeaway box'.
'We can confirm that a passenger brought a small, pet snake in a container onboard a flight from Tel Aviv to Luton,' a spokesman said today.
'As soon as crew became aware of this they dealt with the issue, immediately contacting the authorities to ensure they met the aircraft at Luton. The safety of passengers is always our highest priority.
Action: Police and border force officers were waiting three hours for the plane to land and eventually let the passenger leave with the snake
'The harmless snake remained in its container at all times and passengers were not in any danger. We have raised the issue with the airport to understand why the reptile was not detected during security.'
Corn snakes, which are native to North America, can grow up to 6ft long and prey on rodents, killing them by constriction.
Their reluctance to bite makes them popular pets, and in captivity they can live to be up to 23 years old.
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