A retired gas engineer turned photographer has captured the incredible moment a three-foot grass snake devoured a marsh frog tadpole for its lunch.

Steve Cullum, who is from Meopham, captured the images at Oare Marshes nature reserve near Faversham.

The 69-year-old said: "I was with other members of our local Gravesend RSPB nature watch group and these shots were taken at part of the reserve called Dans Dock.

"The snake was about three feet long and was swimming about with another one, when it suddenly dived and came up with a marsh frog tadpole in its mouth."

Grass snakes are Britain's largest snake, and hunt amphibians, fish, small mammals and birds.

They are usually found in wetland habitats, but can also be seen in dry grasslands and in gardens – especially those with a pond nearby.

The Oare marshes are managed by Kent Wildlife Trust, and the reserve consists of over 81 hectares of grazing marsh, open water scrapes, reedbed, saltmarsh and seawall.

The marshes also homes other reptiles, such as the sand lizard, slow worm and adder – which is the UK's only venomous snake.

The shots were captured in August by Steve using his Nikon D500 camera, with a 500mm pf lens.

He continued: "It took a while to devour its lunch, then slithered away, back amongst the reeds."

Steve has became an avid nature photographer and regularly visits wildlife sites around the county.