A huge python that had preyed on a family's pet cats was finally caught in Thailand.

The massive serpent was found coiled on a steel beam in homeowner Jakkrit Pompetch's house in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on November 16.

Before going to bed, he had checked on his CCTV cameras and was terrified to see the beast hanging just outside the windows next to their fence.

He hurriedly called animal rescuers, who arrived bringing equipment with which to wrangle the snake.

However, the python gave them difficulty as it refused to leave its perch, winding tightly around the piece of metal.

One officer had to climb on top of the stone fence to reach the reptile and untangle it with his hands.

When the python finally loosened its grip, the volunteers dragged it down using a snare and hauled it away on their vehicle.

It measured around four metres long and had a formidable girth, having devoured several of Jakkrit's pet kittens months before.

He said: 'I heard something falling from the roof so I checked the CCTV cameras and discovered it was this python. It has eaten many of my kittens, but I've never seen it until today. My mum said she once saw it slithering away but that was a few months ago.

'One of our cats had gone missing a week ago. I'm sure it was eaten by this snake. I think it had been living among the trees just next to our fence.'

The reticulated python is found throughout Southeast Asia, where they live in forests, swamps, canals and even in cities, causing them to come into conflict with humans. The species is one of the world's largest snakes and can eat humans, cats, dogs, birds, rats and other snakes.