By . Paul Donnelley . An 11-year-old boy was bitten by a poisonous snake as he went to retrieve his football from a bramble bush. Carl Jefferies was playing near his home in Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire when he lost the ball on a grassy area at the junction of Highfield Road and Tig Fold Road. As he went to retrieve it, an adder sank its fangs into his left leg. Carl Jefferies, 11, who was bitten by an adder as he wet to retrieve a football near his home in Farnworth, He is pictured with his mother Kim . Carl was taken to hospital after his ankle swelled up and he began feeling dizzy and being sick. Doctors kept the boy in overnight when they found venom in his leg reported The Bolton News. Carl’s mother, Kim Jefferies, said her son took a week away from school because he was unwell. Mrs Jefferies said: 'Carl was playing football with a neighbour when the ball went into some brambles. He went to get it out and the next thing he knew he felt a stabbing pain in his leg. The puncture marks caused by the snake's fangs in Carl Jefferies's leg can clearly be seen . 'The swelling became really bad and his leg started to turn purple,' said Mrs Jefferies . 'As soon as I saw it I knew it was an adder bite because I had heard of other similar incidents and it looked exactly the same. 'The swelling became really bad and his leg started to turn purple. 'The next day the bite marks became really inflamed and it started to turn green — I was worried sick.' The bite might have been worse but the snake produced only a little venom. Michael Dilger with an adder, Britain's only poisonous snake. One like this bit Carl Jefferies . Mrs Jefferies said: 'I dread to think how much worse it could have been — as he has been constantly being sick all week, as well as suffering with stomach ache and headaches.' A snake expert commented: 'It is not a natural instinct for the snake to attack a human, unfortunately it looks like the lad has accidentally startled it when looking for the football and it has reacted in self-defence.' There have been a number of reported adder attacks in Bolton in recent years. Last summer a bearded collie dog died after it was bitten near Smithills Coaching House.
Carl Jefferies was playing near his home in Farnworth, Bolton, when he lost the ball .
Adder sank its fangs into his left leg. Leg swelled up and Carl was taken to hospital .
Doctors kept the boy in overnight when they found venom in his leg .
By . Paul Donnelley . An 11-year-old boy was bitten by a poisonous snake as he went to retrieve his football from a bramble bush. Carl Jefferies was playing near his home in Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire when he lost the ball on a grassy area at the junction of Highfield Road and Tig Fold Road. As he went to retrieve it, an adder sank its fangs into his left leg. Carl Jefferies, 11, who was bitten by an adder as he wet to retrieve a football near his home in Farnworth, He is pictured with his mother Kim . Carl was taken to hospital after his ankle swelled up and he began feeling dizzy and being sick. Doctors kept the boy in overnight when they found venom in his leg reported The Bolton News. Carl’s mother, Kim Jefferies, said her son took a week away from school because he was unwell. Mrs Jefferies said: 'Carl was playing football with a neighbour when the ball went into some brambles. He went to get it out and the next thing he knew he felt a stabbing pain in his leg. The puncture marks caused by the snake's fangs in Carl Jefferies's leg can clearly be seen . 'The swelling became really bad and his leg started to turn purple,' said Mrs Jefferies . 'As soon as I saw it I knew it was an adder bite because I had heard of other similar incidents and it looked exactly the same. 'The swelling became really bad and his leg started to turn purple. 'The next day the bite marks became really inflamed and it started to turn green — I was worried sick.' The bite might have been worse but the snake produced only a little venom. Michael Dilger with an adder, Britain's only poisonous snake. One like this bit Carl Jefferies . Mrs Jefferies said: 'I dread to think how much worse it could have been — as he has been constantly being sick all week, as well as suffering with stomach ache and headaches.' A snake expert commented: 'It is not a natural instinct for the snake to attack a human, unfortunately it looks like the lad has accidentally startled it when looking for the football and it has reacted in self-defence.' There have been a number of reported adder attacks in Bolton in recent years. Last summer a bearded collie dog died after it was bitten near Smithills Coaching House.
Jefferies was playing near his home in Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire when he lost the ball on a adder sank its fangs into his left leg. Carl Carl was taken to hospital after his ankle sick. Doctors kept the boy in overnight when they found venom in his leg reported The Bolton News.