A CITY mother has praised her "brave" young daughter after she spent two days in hospital after being bitten by a snake.

Haylie Oliver took her daughter eight-year-old Daisy, to Tregonhawke at Whitsand Bay with her friends last Thursday on the last beach trip before the new school term.

As they made their way down the cliff path, Daisy picked up what is believed to be an adder and it bit her middle finger on her left hand.

"Six days before, we were in Spain on a family holiday and Daisy was picking up lizards and all sorts," said Haylie, who lives in Stoke.

"It all happened so fast really. I saw the snake in the middle of the path and the next thing I knew, Daisy had picked it up and it bit her.

"It squirmed back under some bushes and there was a puncture prick in her finger.

"She said she was fine and seemed OK so we carried on walking down the cliff.

"It began to swell up so we visited the lifeguards. We put water and ice on it and that seemed to help but a short time later it really began to puff up.

"Because of the poison, her arm swelled up to her elbow and her fingers were three times the size they would normally be.

"Daisy was so brave throughout the ordeal. She didn't cry once — but I think she will think twice about picking up another snake."

Haylie and Daisy were taken to Derriford Hospital where the Stuart Road Primary School pupil stayed until Saturday afternoon.

Because the swelling had not gone down by Friday afternoon, Daisy was placed on an anti-venom drip.

She has since returned to school with her arm in a sling.

"The whole ordeal was quite bizarre," added 34-year-old Haylie, who is a student.

"It's certainly never happened before."

Haylie said she wanted to thank the doctors and nurses at Derriford Hospital who treated her, and the RNLI lifeguards who assisted.

"The staff at the hospital were just excellent," she said.

"The lifeguards were really good as well. We were really looked after throughout the whole ordeal."