EVENING TELEGRAPH (Derby, UK) 29 August 06 Snakes Alive!

A walker is recovering in hospital after being bitten by the only poisonous species of snake in the country.

Alex Wells had stopped for a break while walking in the Peak District when he felt something slide across his hand and sink its teeth into his finger.

The adder was still attached when he looked down but he shook it off.

The 25-year-old then faced an eight-mile walk with partner Helen Welch back to their car.

But after 10 minutes his arm swelled up like a balloon and telephone health advice line NHS Direct advised him to get to a hospital immediately.

Mr Wells said that it was only then that he started to panic.

He said: "I just remember feeling something slither across my hand and then it bit me.

"It just felt like a small needle and then I looked down and saw the adder attached to my finger.

"I managed to shake it off and it wasn't really hurting, so I didn't panic much until my arm started to swell up."

Mr Wells and Miss Welch, of Swanwick, who had already walked 16 miles before stopping at Baslow Edge, then started the eight-mile journey back to their car.

But Mr Wells' arm began to swell, which he later found out was caused by the venom travelling towards his heart.

He said: "It was then that I called NHS Direct and they told me to get to a hospital.

"We bumped into another couple who drove us the remaining distance to the car, which was parked in Baslow, and from there I drove to the hospital in Calow, as Helen doesn't drive. Everything just seemed really hazy as we were in such a hurry.

"I can't remember much else after we got to the hospital."

Once arriving at The Royal Hospital in Calow at 5.30pm on Saturday, Mr Wells was kept in for observation before being transferred to The Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.

But it was not until 2am on Sunday that he was given anti-venom, as it had to be brought from Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Mr Wells said the hospital had confirmed it was an adder bite and said he was being kept in hospital until today.

Miss Welch (34) said she could not believe what had happened.

She said: "When it happened we really didn't make a big deal about it and it wasn't until Alex's arm ballooned and he said that the pain was quite strong that we decided to get to a hospital as fast as possible.

"It wasn't until I saw him in hospital attached to all the machines that I realised how lucky he was.

"We're both really keen walkers and have never heard of anything like this happening."

Adders are found only from February to October, as they hibernate during the winter. Their natural habitat is dry, open heathland.

According to advice from NHS Direct, it is rare to suffer serious injury or death from an adder bite. Some people who are bitten may not experience any symptoms at all, because the snake may have given them a dry bite containing no venom.

Others will suffer nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea shortly after being bitten and the area around the bite may swell up or go numb.

Mr Wells' mother, Gill (51), of Oakwood, found out what had happened when her son called home.

She said: "Alex called and said he thought he'd been bitten by a snake and could I check in our nature books to see if it was poisonous. I couldn't believe he was being so calm.

"I was so worried and still can't quite believe that he was bitten by an adder."



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