The Salterbeck Snake Extraction: Local Hero to the Rescue Workington Reptile Incident: Supplementary Community Account Published

Right, by now you've probably seen that dry-as-toast article on the BBC News about a lass finding a massive snake behind her boiler down Salterbeck. They made it sound like some polite little animal rescue job.

But mainstream media haven't got a clue, have they? They completely left out the local lad who actually went into the trenches and wrestled the thing out with a point-less archer's arrow borrowed from across the road.

This is what actually went down.

The Call to Duty (And a Knackered Washer)

The whole saga didn't start with some emergency 999 call. It started because Kev Forster's washing machine was absolutely knackered, and he was walking down the road just to get his laundry out of his mate's washer.

As he gets down the bottom of the road, a couple of the neighbors are stood on the drive. One of them spots him and starts shouting, "Kev, Kev, Kev, come over quick, I've been trying to ring ya!"

Kev's like, "Me phone's up at home, I've just come down for me washing, what's wrong like?"

And she says, "There's a loose snake in the house!"

Now, the poor lass who'd just moved into the house was stood there in her dressing gown looking absolutely worse for wear. She'd opened her boiler cupboard downstairs in the kitchen, and this massive five-foot thing had just slithered right out at her. She shat her pants and ran straight out into the street.

Because Kev used to keep snakes, the whole road elected him as the man for the job. Kev's thinking, Is she having me on here? But in he goes anyway to have a look.

Tactical Difficulties Behind the Radiator

By the time Kev gets into the kitchen, the snake has made a run for it and wedged itself right down the back of a five-foot radiator.

To make it a proper pain in the arse, there was a breakfast bar right above the radiator, so he couldn't get to it from the top. He could only reach from the sides, and the snake was stuck right in the dead center.

He tried poking it out with a coat hanger, but he was having no luck at all. Then a lad from over the road comes running over with a proper archer's arrow—but with no point on it. Kev takes the arrow, gives the snake a bit of a tactical prod, and as soon as it moves, he grabs it, yanks it out, and drops it straight into a plastic tub.

Job done. Mission accomplished.

"No Mention, No Pay"

Kev took to Facebook afterwards with a wind-up post: "I didn't even get a mention. Or paid 😭🤣" When we caught up with him, he made clear it was a joke. He wasn't genuinely expecting a BBC credit or a wage slip. He was having a laugh about the whole thing.

It followed his earlier post asking if anyone had lost a snake in Salterbeck. The BBC coverage post — where the joke landed — is here on Kev's Facebook.

The animal rescue folk came and took it away, but Kev admits he's a bit gutted he didn't just keep the bonny lal thing.

"I wish I kept it now, to be honest," Kev told us. "They're brilliant for catching rats. There's a load of rats up the top end of Roper Terrace because of all the dog food left outside, so it would've had a proper field day up there."

Word on the street from the neighbors is that there's meant to be three of them snakes loose somewhere. So if you live down the Beck, maybe keep your boiler cupboard locked. But if another one pops out from behind your radiator, you already know who to call.

Residents of Salterbeck may have read the measured account published by BBC News regarding the discovery of a snake behind a domestic boiler in Workington. Marra News has reviewed supplementary testimony from community stakeholders and presents the following clarifying report.

Official coverage characterised the event as a straightforward animal-welfare intervention. However, eyewitness accounts indicate that a locally recognised volunteer — Mr Kev Forster, a former reptile keeper — conducted the primary extraction before professional services arrived, utilising improvised equipment including a blunt-tipped archery arrow supplied by a neighbouring resident.

The following sequence is based on verified local statements.

Initial Notification (Household Context)

The incident did not originate from an emergency-services dispatch. According to Mr Forster, the sequence began during a routine domestic arrangement: his personal washing machine had ceased operation, requiring him to retrieve laundry from a neighbour's appliance along Salterbeck Road.

Upon approaching the property, he was flagged down by residents who reported an inability to reach him by telephone. The newly arrived homeowner — described as distressed and in nightwear — stated that a snake had emerged from the kitchen boiler cupboard and retreated behind a radiator unit.

Given Mr Forster's prior experience with reptile husbandry, neighbours requested his assistance. He entered the premises to assess the situation.

Extraction Challenges (Radiator Enclosure)

The snake, estimated at approximately five feet, had positioned itself centrally behind a radiator beneath a fixed breakfast bar, limiting vertical access. Initial attempts with a wire coat hanger proved unsuccessful.

A neighbour subsequently provided a target archery arrow with the point removed. Following controlled prodding, Mr Forster secured the animal and transferred it to a plastic containment vessel. No injuries were reported.

Media Coverage & Community Response

Following collection by animal-rescue personnel, Mr Forster posted on social media in a clearly humorous tone, joking that he had received neither acknowledgement nor payment. He later confirmed to Marra News that the remark was tongue-in-cheek rather than a formal grievance.

The original community post is on Mr Forster's Facebook page, with a follow-up post referencing subsequent BBC coverage.

"I wish I had retained it," Mr Forster told Marra News. "These animals are effective for rodent management. There is a documented increase in rat activity at the upper end of Roper Terrace, associated with outdoor pet feeding."

Neighbouring residents have indicated that up to three snakes may remain unaccounted for in the vicinity. Households in the Salterbeck area are advised to inspect boiler enclosures and maintain secure cupboard fastenings. Further sightings should be reported to appropriate wildlife services.