“We have nothing apart from Tiny so I have to accept she is instrumental in Dan’s death. I do not believe it was aggression from Tiny – if anything it was a show of affection, a moment of peace.”

Likewise, John Cooper, a reptile expert who examined Tiny came up with several conclusions.

‘Dan clearly loved his animals and was obviously an expert herbatologist. I visited the family and was given a very warm welcome, it was a chance to see Tiny and talk to his friends.”

‘I went up to the bedroom and we took Tiny out to have a chance to look at her closely. She was 8ft 4ins, around 2ft smaller than was originally reported in much of the press.

‘I examined her the best I could. I thought if she is part of the investigation, she should be part of the evidence properly. I just wish this was done sooner, the snake should have been checked immediately.

‘Then I looked around the room and wanted to see what the house was like. Mr. Brandon was obviously an experienced herbatologist and had a good relationship with these animals. He had been keeping snakes for 16 years and it showed.

‘When snakes shed their skin they leave what we call a “sluff”. I examined this very carefully using an X-ray and it showed she was in good condition.

‘Snakes tend to be more aggressive when they are going through this ‘sluff’ period, but there is no evidence to suggest that she was going through this at this point in time.

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