Snake swallows a whole pigeon on busy London street

A snake has been caught on camera swallowing a pigeon on a busy street in east London.

Source: Facebook

East Londoners were stunned on the weekend after coming across a boa constrictor eating a pigeon on the pathway outside a shop in Leytonstone.

A photo was posted online of the unexpected scene by Dave Fawbert - the editor for the editor of ShortList magazine - which has so far been shared more than 5,000 times.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said the snake had been taken to a nearby wildlife centre and they were seeking information to how a boa constrictor ended up in "such a dangerous situation".

"Exposed like that on a street could have meant anything might have happened to him - he could have been run over by a car or attacked by another animal," RSPCA's Rebecca Bedson told Sky News UK.

"It might be that he is an escaped pet, or more worryingly, someone may have deliberately dumped him and left him to fend for himself."

The RSPCA confirmed to the BBC the snake was a boa constrictor, not a python.

Social media was abuzz with commentary about the incident.