Regarding the letter from Mr Cooper ('Hospital praise', October 4).

May I respectfully place on record that there has never been a single incident of adders (European vipers) having been recorded in Barnet.

The adder is the only British poisonous snake species. Having spoken to the victim of the snake bite, he describes the offender as being black and white in colour, which adders are not. It is therefore evident that the snake was a one-time 'pet' or an escapee from a collection.

Clive Cohen

London Wildlife Trust (Barnet Group)

October 16, 2001 16:34