Pensioner David Atherton was shocked to find a three-foot snake slithering inside his oven when he innocently went to cook his pie and chips . The 65-year old from Halliwell , Bolton was just about to put his meal in the cooker when he caught sight of the black and white California king hiding inside . Atherton scooped up the reptile and placed it in a plastic food recycling box before alerting the police . Shocked : David Atherton , 65 , went to put his meal in the oven when he discovered a three-foot California king snake ( pictured ) hiding inside . RSPCA officers came to collect the snake the same evening and it has been given a temporary home with a local conservationist since . Atherton 's 73-year-old sister Margaret - who has a phobia of snakes - became severely distressed when she heard about the incident and needed to go to hospital with heart problems . He said : 'Her phobia is so bad she can not even look at a snake on TV , let alone see one in real life . ' I would not like to hazard a guess as to what would have happened if she had been the one to open the oven and see it . It could have been much worse . ' He added : 'When I pulled down the oven door I saw the snake hanging down from the side and and at first I thought it was part of a food packet , but then I realised what it was . 'There is a small gap between the oven and the fitted cupboards , which must be what it came through . 'You could not make it up and I must confess it is not something that happens every day . ' Experts said the banded California king snakes can grow up to 6ft in length and were commonly kept as pets . Slither : Atherton - whose sister has an extreme phobia of snakes - scooped up the reptile and placed it inside a plastic food recycling box ( pictured ) RSPCA inspector Melissa Furey said it is common to see an influx of snakes coming out in April as the weather gets warmer . She added : 'It is the time of year when they come out basking in the sun - this is the second escaped snake in just over a week which has made an appearance in Greater Manchester . 'Pet owners need to be responsible and make sure they have the correct equipment - vivariums with locks - because snakes are really good escape artists and can slip through the smallest of gaps . '
65-year-old David Atherton shocked to discover the black and white reptile . He placed it inside a plastic food recycling box while waiting for the police . His sister is so scared of snakes she had 'heart problems ' when she heard . Influx of snakes is common in April when weather is warmer , RSPCA says .