A visit to a live reptile exhibition went horribly wrong when a young boy was bitten by a snake.

Snake-mad youngster Robert Harding was attacked by the three-foot long boa constrictor while he enjoyed a special event at the Natural History Museum in Colchester.

But he was not frightened by the incident and is desperate to make a return visit to the museum on Friday, when he hopes to handle more of the snakes on show as part of Go Live Week.

Bitten - Robert Harding nurses the snake bite with mum Sylvia at their Great Bentley home.

Robert, 11, was with his younger brother and two sisters, who watched in horror as the snake arched up and then clamped its fangs into his arm.

Mother Sylvia Harding, of Great Bentley, said: "It was a bit gruesome because you could see where the four fangs had gone into the arm, but Robert wasn't really worried. He loves snakes and wants one for his birthday."

Robert, who is due to to start at the Colne Community College in Brightlingsea in September, was so unfazed by his ordeal that he now wants to go trekking in the Amazon rainforest to learn more about snakes.

A spokeswoman for the Natural History Museum said it was "regrettable" that Robert had been bitten.

"As a museum service, we had put everything in place to ensure this event ran smoothly, it was regrettable that it happened."

"We had two expert handlers with the snakes and the dealt with it very swiftly."

Published Wednesday August 14, 2002

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