'20cm from my face!' Shopper's frightening moment 3m python pounces in herb section

Helaini said she was perusing the aisles when she came across the 3m python. Photo / Supplied

Shoppers in Sydney were given a new meaning to the term panic buying when they entered a Woolworths yesterday.

One supermarket-goer was given a rather slithery shock when looking in the herbs and spices section.

Captured on video, the shopper filmed the moment a python came lurking from behind a range of products and frightened shoppers in the aisle.

Helaini Alati was in the shop when she made the shock discovery and told 7 News it looked like the python was eyeing her up.

"I was browsing and turned to my left and he had come out and his face was about 20cm from mine, just looking at me," she said.

"It was almost like he was asking me to take him outside!

"I just happened to be the one that found it.

"He must have been there for at least a few hours. He was sort of hidden behind the spices and I didn't see him at first.

Helaini said she was perusing the aisles when she came across the 3m python. Photo / Supplied

"It was super mellow, not aggressive at all. I'm guessing he came down from the ceiling.

He was about 10ft (3m) long!"

Luckily, Alati was a former volunteer snake catcher and offered to help rescue the slithery shopper.

"I'm glad I'm the one that found him, most people would have freaked out!" she said.

A Woolworths spokesperson has told 7NEWS.com.au that the matter was dealt with calmly and safely.

"A slippery and rare customer was spotted in the spice aisle of our Glenorie store yesterday morning," the spokesperson said.

"Once it was sighted, our team members reacted quickly and calmly to cordon off the area for the safety of customers.

"A snake catcher removed the slithery customer, who was released safely into bushland shortly after."

It is unclear how it got there in the first place.