Residents have spoken of their shock after a Bristol teenager was bitten by a snake during a racist attack in Bradley Stoke.

The 14-year-old was reportedly held down as the snake was held in front of him.

He had to be taken to Frenchay Hospital after the 4ft-long green reptile bit his right arm in Merryweather Close on Saturday afternoon.

As first reported by the Bristol Evening Post yesterday, the black teenager was reportedly taunted with racist comments during the attack.

A 16 and 17-year-old are helping police with their inquiries following the incident.

When an ambulance crew arrived at the scene at about 3.20pm they had to determine what type of snake the teenager had been attacked with in order to take the most appropriate course of action.

Incident support officer Michael Howells said: “In order to try and identify the type of snake I googled ‘snakes’ on my mobile to show the patient.

“He was reasonably sure he could identify the type, so I sent the image to our control room.”

Once the snake had been identified the ambulance service were able to contact experts to find out whether the reptile was poisonous.

Duty control manager Oliver Tovey said: “We contacted Bristol Zoo to talk to their snake expert. What we described they indicated was probably a type of python – so not venomous.”

The teenager was taken to Frenchay Hospital , Bristol for precautionary checks and is believed to have returned home.

Mr Howells said: “Although the patient was suffering breathing difficulties after the attack, this was probably due to panic rather than a reaction to the bite – I would probably be panicky if that happened to me.”

People living in Merryweather Close were shocked by the incident.

Dot Powell said: “I saw some young lads hanging around when I got home at about 12.30am and there were some police around, but I wasn’t here when it happened.

“I was quite shocked when I found out. It is disgusting. I cannot understand it.”

One woman who lives in the close, but asked not be named, said: “I just cannot believe that someone would do such a thing.

“You don’t know what is going to happen next.”

Another woman, who did not wish to be named, told the Evening Post that the snake was being shown to some children ahead of the incident.

She said: “The boy was tormenting the snake and was told several times not to do that.”

Police are appealing for witnesses following the incident.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman Wayne Baker said: “The teenager had been subject to racist comments and then reportedly held down as a snake was held in front of him, which bit his right arm.

“The boy was taken to Frenchay Hospital with breathing problems, where he was treated for the injury to his arm.

“Experts have confirmed that the snake, described as green coloured and about 4ft long, was not venomous.”

On Saturday the Bristol Evening Post reported how a pet cat in Brislington was eaten alive by a 13ft long Burmese python.

The owners of Wilbur – Martin and Helen Wadey – are now calling for a change in the law that would see snakes officially classed as dangerous animals.

Police would like anyone who was in the Merryweather Close area at the time of the incident to contact Staple Hill police station on 0845 456 7000.