CLEANING her bathroom turned into a nightmare for a Bournemouth woman when she was bitten by a false widow spider.

Emma Craven, 31, was rushed to hospital after suffering an allergic reaction which triggered anaphylactic shock.

The petrol station manager said: “I saw a cobweb on the windowsill and a spider. Because I don’t like killing any animal I decided to pick it up.

“I felt a sharp pain; it was a bit like a bee sting but much worse. My thumb went red and then my whole hand started swelling up.

“I ran into my neighbour Dave New’s house and he realised what had happened. By that stage I was having difficulty breathing and he rang for an ambulance.

“I collapsed and the paramedics treated me with very strong antihistamines. After being checking over I was allowed to go home but I’ve still got pins and needles in my right hand and can’t drive. I couldn’t work for two days; it was really frightening.”

Anaphylactic shock can lead to death in a matter of minutes if left untreated.

Mr New, who took photographs of the spider which bit Emma, was shocked to discover two in his own home.

He said: “I’ve got four children. After what happened to Emma I’m really worried about them.

“We’ve managed to catch one of the spiders but the other is still on the loose.

“I’m going to contact the council’s environmental health department to find out why we’ve found three of these spiders within a matter of days. There may be a nest.”

False widows are found in most parts of England but more common in Southern counties, usually in houses and out buildings.

Frequently mistaken for the infamous Black Widow spiders, which are part of the same family, false widows are nowhere near as toxic. Their bites are quite rare and generally only if mishandled or provoked.