A hapless python was rescued after getting wedged in a roadside drain cover.

The mammoth 20ft reptile was trying to squeeze itself through the narrow hole in the concrete surface when it became trapped outside an apartment building in Samut Prakan, Thailand.

Emergency teams were called to the street, Soi Sinsomboonthe, on Tuesday morning after residents spotted the serpent with its tail sticking out.

Rescuers worked for nearly an hour to lift the heavy drain cover and free the beast. They had to drill through part of the pavement, but the python's head remained firmly lodged.

After repeated attempts, they were forced to abandon the rescue, allowing the python to wriggle free on its own.

Apartment owner Makrud, 35, said: 'At around 2am, I saw the snake slither out of the apartment and onto the street. Several cars were passing by, and it seemed startled before hiding in the drain. But then it got stuck and couldn't get out.'

The python later managed to slither out by itself.

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.