A man who has been taking his pet snakes to a Paisley park has sparked a debate among local residents.

Up to 20 reptiles, who all appear to be owned by one person, have reportedly been spotted slithering around Barshaw Park.

In a recent post on the Friends of Barshaw Park's Facebook page, a spokesperson for the group said several people had raised concerns about the sightings.

The Gazette:

They added: "It's been reported that recently 20 snakes were brought in by the person. 

"Renfrewshire Council have told us that no-one has permission to bring snakes into Barshaw Park."

However, many local residents took to the comments section under the Facebook post to defend the actions of the snake owner.

Stacey Keenan said: "I’ve met him a couple of times with my kids. Really nice guy, answered the 1,001 questions we had about snakes. 

"The snakes were under control and enjoying a little sunbathe. Can we show the same concern for people bringing their out-of-control dogs to the park?"

The Gazette:

Robin Chandler added: "I would embrace what the guy is doing, set him up with a nice little pen in the park. 

"It’s a win win situation, snakes get to sunbathe and enjoy the day and the guy can answer all the questions without having to worry about an escapee and people who have phobias would be able to avoid that area.

"I think it's great and could bring a lot of visitors to the park."

However, other people voiced their reservations about snakes being brought into a public space.

Angela Kerr said: "Well I will never go near this park again, I am terrified of snakes.

"I would expect to see dogs in a park, not snakes, and I have a severe phobia of them."

Daniel O'Bray added: "I let my snake out in my garden a few times if its sunny to give them some fun, but if I had any venomous snakes I wouldn't let them near children or animals, that's dangerous."

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A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson told The Gazette: "Non-domestic pets, such as snakes, should be not be brought into our parks and consent has not been provided for this to take place."

​A Police Scotland spokesperson added: "Anyone with concerns should contact police on 101."