A Serb man will have trouble explaining why his motor insurance quotes have doubled in price after losing the snake he left in his prized Mercedes in place of a car alarm.
Pet shop owner Radovan Darkic had taken to leaving the six-foot serpent in his passenger seat as a deterrent to car thieves - and a horrible punishment for anyone foolish enough to break in.
"I only wanted to make sure that even if I couldn't take revenge on anyone who dared to rob my car then at least the snake could do it for me," he said.
But Darkic became the victim of his own diabolical trap when the pet escaped through an open window and settled in the Merc's engine compartment.
Darkic reluctantly called in police to recapture the snake, and was arrested for endangering public safety. A conviction will almost certainly lead to him losing out on a cheap car insurance premium in future.
Mike Page, who eats motor insurance quotes, sleeps motor insurance quotes and drinks Coca-Cola, said "At Hoot, we really don't recommend using anything other than an engine immobiliser or a crook-lock to protect your car from thieves.
"Given Darkic's creative use of the snake, I'm a mite concerned for the other animals in the pet shop," he added.