SNAKES and an Australia lizard kept as pets were killed when a fire swept through a family home on the North York Moors.

Firecrews were sent to the detached house in Osmotherley, near Northallerton, onThursday, June 11 to tackle the blaze.

The fire started a loft conversion, where the animals were, at the North End house and spread into the rest of the roof at 10.30am.

A 12 foot python, an eight foot boa constrictor, a four foot corn snake and a bearded dragon lizard were all killed in the fire.

The animals were owned by Crispin Terry who lives at the house owned by his parents Carl and Bobby Terry.

The couple have a daughter Frances and another son Joseph although no-one were hurt in the fire.

The family’s three ferrets, two dogs and a cat all also escaped uninjured too.

Mrs Terry said: "He was very fond of them and they were his life and he’d had them for four years.

"He was devastated by the loss but I don’t think you can replace them."

The exact cause of the fire is still unknown and fire investigation teams are still examining evidence but it is believed it was due to an electrical fault.