A police officer nicknamed ‘Robocop’ for his prolific arrest rate met his match in the early hours of yesterday morning – after being confronted by a 2ft snake.

East Anglian Daily Times: Tenzin returned to owner JasmineTenzin returned to owner Jasmine (Image: Archant)

Sergeant Ali Livingstone and PC Ali Maidment were out on a patrol at around 1am this morning when they encountered the reptile, named Tenzin, in Chevallier Street, Ipswich.

But Sgt Livingstone, who in 2009 was named the UK’s top police officer for arrests after making 524 in a single year, found the snake something of a tough customer.

Fortunately, partner PC Maidment is a snake owner himself, and saved the day with his pet rescue skills.

“I promptly sat in the police car, locked the doors and told him he wasn’t getting back in with it,” Sgt Livingstone said.

After some negotiation, the pair took the snake back to Ipswich Police Station in Museum Street, in the hands of PC Maidment.

Police put out an appeal looking to trace the owner, and within hours, 17-year-old Jasmine from Ipswich, who was previously a police cadet and looking for a career in policing, came forward.

She said: “I’m thinking of changing his name to Houdini! This is the second time that he has managed to escape out of a tiny gap in his tank.

“My brother realised that Tenzin had escaped on Tuesday and we searched the entire house. Although he’s harmless, the last time he got out, he turned up in the tool box under the sink.

“My mum phoned me and asked had I seen the police website as they were searching for the owner of a lost snake found in Ipswich.

“I’m really happy to have him back as reptiles are a passion of mine. I’m so thankful to PC Maidment and Sgt Livingstone for safely returning him to me – they went above and beyond the call of duty.”

Tenzin is a nine-month-old ghostly motley corn snake, named after a character from an Anime film.

PC Maidment added: “I am delighted that we managed to return the snake safely to Jasmine, who clearly has a deep fondness for reptiles. I’m just glad that he was uninjured and it is a happy ending to the story.”

The two police officers notably were awarded a Stars of Suffolk Award and a chief constable certificate of merit in 2009, after hanging onto a man who tried to throw himself off a 100ft roof in Ipswich.