Residents Report Large Snake Found on Stairwell at Brighton Flat Block

Snake discovered on stairwell

Residents at a Brighton flat block have expressed concern after finding a large snake on their communal stairwell. The incident took place at 89 Pankhurst Avenue around 7.30am on 14 September.

A resident was taking her two young children to school when they encountered the snake, which is believed to be a ball python. With no alternative route out of the building, the family had to creep past the coiled animal to leave. The resident said her daughter was so frightened she almost fell down the stairs.

"It was so scary to see it," the mother said. "My daughter almost fell down the stairs with fright. It just didn't seem real."

She described the experience in detail: "I was trying not to make any noise and just get past it quickly. I kept checking if it was moving. Then I just ran outside. My kids were so scared."

Another resident also had to guide his children past the snake during the same school run that morning. He said he had to creep past it with his children, who were frightened by the encounter.

Uncertainty over next steps

When the mother returned from school, maintenance workers told her they had placed the snake in a box and a resident had claimed and taken it away. However, she was not informed who owned the animal.

The resident reported the incident to Southern Housing, which manages the block. The organisation said it would investigate how the snake had entered the communal area. However, when the resident escalated the matter on 29 September after hearing nothing further, Southern Housing declined to accept it as a formal complaint, saying there had been "no identified service failure", though it passed her concerns to its housing management team.

Residents worried about future incidents

The mother remains concerned about the possibility of the snake escaping again. "Now, every time I go down the stairs, I think about the snake," she said. "I don't feel safe living here now. It's a safety issue for everyone who lives here. If they're going to allow a snake to live here, they should warn all the residents. If it can escape once, it can get out again. I'm living in fear."

She added: "It's still scary to think about it now. The snake is still here, living in this block."

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