A Chinese chef has died after he was bitten by a cobra he had decapitated 20 minutes previously.

The chef was preparing a special dish which ingredients include the Indochinese spitting cobra, a rare delicacy in Asia.

When the chef, Peng Fang from Foshan, Guangdong province, went to throw the decapitated head into the bin, the cobra bit his hand and released its venom into his system. 

Police reports have said that despite people immediately calling for help, he died before medical assistance could arrive and he could be given the life saving anti-venom.

"We did not know what was happening but could hear screams coming from the kitchen. There were calls for a doctor in the restaurant but by the time medical assistance arrived, the man had already died," a diner at the restaurant told the Daily Record.

The snake was being diced up by Peng Fang to make a 'snake soup' which has become increasingly popular in Asia in recent years. 

Snake expert Yang Hong-Chang, who has studied cobras for over 40 years, told the Mirror that reptiles can function for up to an hour after losing body parts, or even their entire body.

"It is perfectly possible that the head remained alive and bit Peng's hand. By the time a snake has lost its head, it’s effectively dead as basic body functions have ceased, but there is still some reflexive action," said Hong-Chang.

"It means snakes have the capability of biting and injecting venom even after the head has been severed."