What to do if you or your pet are bitten by an adder

Adders are the UK's only venomous snake and while it doesn't usually cause many issues, the number of sightings appears to have increased in recent weeks.

One adder estimated to be 'three feet long' was spotted by a woman and her partner on a 'stroll' along a beach in England. Meanwhile, the most recent sighting was reported at Middle Beach, near Old Harry Rocks in Dorset, Somerset Live reports.

Debbie Lee was having a lovely stroll outside when she came across the camouflaged viper. She said: "We were walking down the path towards the beach and my partner noticed something move in front of us. The adder was already in the middle of the path.

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"I approached it slowly and started taking some random snaps as it was very sunny and I wasn’t sure if I had caught it on camera. The snake then disappeared into the bushes.

"Luckily when we got home and looked back at the pics we had quite a clear photo. It was about three feet long!"

Earlier this month, adders had been sighted across Devon with one snake being spotted "sunbathing" on Dartmoor by a walker who managed to capture it on film.

According to the RSPCA, the adder is Britain's only venomous native snake but its venom is not very potent.

It adds: “If you are bitten however, keep the bitten limb still and get to the nearest A&E as soon as you can. If a person who has been bitten loses consciousness (some are particularly sensitive to snake bites, as with bee stings), call an ambulance.

“Adder bites can be extremely dangerous to pets (particularly if the animal is bitten on the face), causing swelling, bleeding or fever. Dogs walked in adder habitats during spring and summer are more at risk.

“Animals