Look out for adders, dog walkers have been warned.

Furfield Quarry in Boughton Monchelsea is an old land-fill site, used by KCC to bury rubbish until 1991.

Now the land is used regularly by dog walkers and children playing.

Olivia Evans works for the land management company engaged by the owners.

She said: “While we were working on the site we spotted an adder sunbathing in the long grass.

“These could be dangerous or perhaps even deadly for dogs or small children.

“I was surprised to see how many unsupervised children and dog-walkers use the area.

“Adders are a rare sight today and most people are probably unaware of the dangers.”

“Adders are a rare sight today and most people are probably unaware of the dangers" - Olivia Evans

The adder is the only venomous snake native to Britain, but they are rarely aggressive. They only use their venom as a last means of defence, usually if caught or trodden on.

No one has died from an adder bite in Britain for more than 20 years.

With proper treatment, the worst effects are nausea and drowsiness, followed by severe swelling and bruising in the area of the bite.

Most people who are bitten were handling the snake, so it is best to leave them alone.

Adders can grow to be two and a half feet long, and can live for up to 20 years.

They have a distinctive dark zigzag pattern running down the length of their back.