False widow spider fears raised in Littlehampton

A PENSIONER living in Littlehampton claims to have captured a venomous false widow spider in his kitchen.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Oct 2013, 15:00 BST
Ian Roberts, of Winter Knoll, claims to have captured a venomous false widow spider in his kitchenIan Roberts, of Winter Knoll, claims to have captured a venomous false widow spider in his kitchen
Ian Roberts, of Winter Knoll, claims to have captured a venomous false widow spider in his kitchen

Ian Roberts, of Winter Knoll, said he came back after lunch to find, what he believed, was a false widow spider, in his kitchen, on yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, October 29).

The 72-year-old captured the arachnid and trapped it in a jar before warning a couple of his neighbours about the creature. Ian, who lives on his own, said: “When I saw it I just went and grabbed the small jar that I catch spiders in and got my AA card out, put it underneath and trapped it.

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“I know it’s poisonous and I showed it to my neighbours to see what they thought and to warn them that it was in the neighbourhood.”

Sightings of Steatoda nobilis, the false widow spider, are on the rise. It is being cited as Britain’s most venomous spider, and it is spreading. But experts say the species is not usually aggressive towards humans and being bitten is rare.

Related topics:PensionerBritain