A retired teacher was terrified after discovering a massive python hanging from the fence of her house.

Praphaphan Chanpiboon, 70, was collecting laundry from her drying racks when she noticed the 60kg (130lbs) serpent staring at her in her yard in Samut Prakan, Thailand, on April 8.

The pensioner, who said she is 'extremely scared' of snakes, screamed and locked herself inside her home. She then called her niece living two blocks away and asked her to notify the local snake wranglers.

Officers arrived at the residence at around 10 pm. They found the mammoth python draped over the metal sheet fence of the home.

Armed with snake poles, the experts blocked the python's escape routes before dragging it from its perch.

Footage shows them wrangling the 13ft beast inside a sack to be released away from the community.

Shaken Praphaphan said: 'At around 9:30 pm, I went outside to collect my clothes because I was worried it might rain. After I finished, I reached out to grab a tarp to cover the racks. I turned my head and that's when I saw the giant python lying on the fence.

'I was terrified as I'm extremely afraid of snakes. I can't even handle eels because they look so much like them. I immediately called my niece, who lives just two blocks away, to come check, and she contacted the authorities to catch it.

'I was scared it might escape and find its way into another house. I've never seen a snake this big before. I've only ever seen small green snakes, but this python was huge.'

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.