Man struggling to walk and in 'unbearable pain' after bite from 'Britain's most dangerous spider'
Spiders are many Brit's worst fears, although we've seemingly got it good compared to some of the giant eight-legged creatures you see in the likes of Australia.
While the odd giant spider has snuck through the UK borders from time to time, the bites we commonly see aren't all that likely to cause serious damage, or lead to us developing any special powers.
St John's Ambulance suggest that 'the majority of spider bites in the UK cause uncomfortable and itchy areas which can appear red or purple which settles within about a week."
However, Hertfordshire man Keith Robinson has been left in 'unbearable pain' and struggling to walk after he was bitten what he believes to be a false widow spider.
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The noble false widow spider - native in many parts of the world, including Europe and North America - is 'widely regarded as the most dangerous spider breeding in Britain', according to a 2020 paper by Clive Hambler, an Oxford University zoologist.
"It must be more than coincidence that I had removed a large number of cobwebs from the house by hoover," Keith said. "So I'm thinking that I've disturbed a spider, and at some point, I got bitten.
"The stinging pain almost became unbearable at times until I was given stronger pain killers and antibiotics."
After trying and failing to treat the inflammation with Savlon, Keith opted to go to hospital after cellulitis - a bacterial skin infection - developed around the wound.
"The worst it got was the weekend of May 10. That's when I decided it was best to go to the hospital," he explained. "I was given a blood test and put on a saline drip, before I was released with painkillers and antibiotics."
However, the British Arachnological Society seemingly dispute his claims, suggesting that false widows are unlikely to penetrate human skin with their bites and while they do possess some toxins, there are very few confirmed cases of them biting and none of serious injury as a direct result.
That's little solace to the 65-year-old, after his potential encounter with a spider deemed to be Britain's most dangerous.
He added: "I can work but I am not able to walk very far without intense pain in that leg for quite a while. Life at home is very sedentary at the moment.
"It's not easy to cope with being so immobile now and the pain can be relentless without the painkillers.
"I hope I never get bitten again - this has been a painful experience just from a spider bite here in the UK."
He's offered up advice to anyone else who comes across a spider in their home, as it turns out there's a very specific way you should be trying to catch them.
"Avoid them - check all spiders in your house or outbuildings where they like to live and remove them if found. If you catch a bite or suspect one then go to hospital and get it checked out the same day."
James Moorhouse