Tamworth man killed by suspected brown snake bite

A young man has died within an hour of suffering a suspected brown snake bite in a Tamworth backyard, according to reports. 

The 24-year-old was rushed to hospital after being bitten on the finger in West Tamworth - in New South Wales' New England region - on Wednesday night, according to Fairfax Media.

A report will be prepared for the coroner, a police spokeswoman said today. 

It's believed the man was bitten by the snake as he tried to move it away from a family pet.

Brown snake venom is among the most potent in the world and the reptile is responsible for more than 60 per cent of snake-bite deaths in Australia, according to the University of Melbourne.