A YORK youngster who was bitten by a venomous snake has made a full recovery and is preparing to go back to school next week.

Charlotte Shipley, ten, of Woodside Avenue, Burnholme, was bitten by the adder - the only venomous snake in Britain - while on a trip to Ravenscar with her friend's family five weeks ago.

A group of youngsters had found the snake, which they thought was a harmless grass snake, but were shocked when it lashed out and bit Charlotte.

The bite on her fingers caused her whole arm to swell to twice its normal size and she spent a week in hospital being treated.

Her parents Alison and Brian, who also have a four-year-old daughter Jade, were convinced they were going to lose her, as doctors used morphine to control her pain.

Charlotte still felt ill for weeks afterwards, and she had to undergo three physiotherapy sessions to help her regain movement in her arm.

Now, apart from small fang marks on her fingers, there is nothing physically wrong with the youngster - although she is still frightened to stray too far from her home.

Charlotte said: "My dad bought me a micro scooter as a get well present so I've been on that every day.

"But I'm not really that good about going out.

"I don't want to go to the park just yet, I'll stay around the streets and just go to the shops.

"I know there won't be any snakes there, but I just don't want to yet."

Mrs Shipley said she had compiled a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings and has taken Charlotte to the library to find out more about snakes.

She said that Charlotte, who returns to Hempland Primary School next week, did not even like looking at the pictures of the snakes.

She said: "She wrote her memoirs of what happened so that she can pass it on to her own children. She knows the dangers and she knows it could have killed her."

Updated: 08:33 Thursday, August 30, 2001