Young brothers strangled to death in their sleep by giant python which escaped from pet shop in Canada

Two young brothers have been found dead after a giant python escaped from a pet store and strangled them when they were sleeping.

Noah and Connor Barth, aged five and seven, were staying overnight with a friend in an apartment above the store when they were attacked by the African rock python.

The snake, which was up to 14ft 9in long and weighed about 7st, is believed to have escaped from its cage and gained access to the flat via the ventilation pipes.

It then crashed through a hole onto the boys, who were asleep in the living room above the Reptile Ocean store in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Shop owner Jean-Claude Savoie, who admitted the snake was “vicious”, found the boys dead about 6.30am yesterday.

He told Canadian TV station Global News: “I thought they were sleeping until I seen the hole in the ceiling. Everything has fallen. I turn the lights on and I have seen this horrific scene.

“The snake was gone. I found the snake. It was in a hole underneath. It went through the ventilation system. I don’t understand how it did it. They were sleeping in the living room. The snake fell through the ceiling. I pinned him down and put him in the cage. I have so many mixed emotions right now. I can’t believe this is real.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the snake was in its possession. It said in a statement: “The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store sometime overnight, and got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment. It’s believed the two boys were strangled by the snake.”

Reptile Ocean was forced to shut down its Facebook page after receiving a large number of critical messages. It had previously posted a message that said: “Deepest sympathies goes out to the family of the children. A terrible accident without a meaning.”

Mr Savoie said he had owned the snake for 10 years. It was a pet rather than being offered for sale but was rarely handled.