[imagesource: Supplied to 7NEWS.com.au]

Sugar and spice and all things slippery, after a snake slithered into a store’s spice section recently and surprised shoppers.

I tried my best to get as many S‘s as possible in that sentence, you know, to be accommodating to the three-metre diamond python that was spotted at a Woolworths in Australia a few days back.

Amazingly, just at the moment that the snake peeked out, the nearest shopper happened to be a former volunteer snake catcher.

Helaina Alati spoke to 7NEWS about the chance encounter at a Woolies in Glenorie, Sydney:

“I was browsing and turned to my left and he had come out and his face was about 20cm from mine, just looking at me,” she said.

It was almost like he was asking me to take him outside! I just happened to be the one that found it.”

Alati reckons the python must have been there for at least a few hours, hidden behind the herbs and spices after possibly coming down from the ceiling.

Luckily it was met with Alati’s experience and calm, versus another shopper’s panic:

“I’m glad I’m the one that found him, most people would have freaked out!” she said.

“I told the staff I used to be a volunteer snake catcher so I grabbed my snake bag and relocated him into the bush.”

“He was so relaxed and non-aggressive,” she said, “Don’t want to demonise these beautiful animals anymore!”

A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed that the snake was removed safely and calmly.

Here are some perplexed Sunrise news anchors talking to Alati about the moment she found the snake, including footage she captured:

[source:7newsau]