Slippery criminal who confounded police turns out to be 19ft PYTHON

A slippery criminal almost got away with it when police attending a break-in at a shop could not find the suspect.

But the next day shocked staff discovered the culprit was a 19ft python whose head is the size of a small dog.

Police officers in the town of Ingham, Australia, were investigating a suspected break-in at a charity shop.

Queensland State Police Sergeant Don Auld said officers found a damaged roof, goods knocked over onto the floor and broken and strangely, a pool of what looked like vomit on the floor.

Police suspected a thief had fallen through the ceiling and then thrown up - but the next day terrified members of staff spotted the sneaky snake writhing around on the shop floor.

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It appeared the devious python had entered the shop through the roof, fell through the ceiling and then relieved itself on the floor.

The massive snake had evaded police and shop keepers the day before by hiding among the clothes racks.

A snake catcher was called who hauled the reptile away to a new home in nearby wetlands.