A family were shocked when he found a deadly cobra hiding behind the fridge.

The reptile was seen by an electrician who was repairing the wiring at the house in Chachoengsao province, Thailand, on Christmas eve (December 24).

He was about to move the appliance away to access the electrical socket when a 6ft-long cobra snapped at him.

The reptile was hiding among the clump of wires hidden behind the wires, hissing.

Stunned electrician Manna Panthong, 50, said: 'At first I thought it was a python. I was terrified after it hissed at me and moved its neck. I ran out as quickly as I could.'

The worker called the house owner, Tuenjai Polpao, 67, who immediately phoned the animal rescuers.

They arrived and began to locate the snake using a rod with a hook at the end.

The snake resisted being caught and aggressively hissed at the team at first, but it was eventually pinned down.

It was placed in a sack before the rescue team drove away with it to be released later into the wild.