A car enthusiast who found a strange spider in an imported American car today admitted being shocked to discover it was a deadly black widow.
Barry Ashdown, 59, from Barling, found a spider's web in his 1960 Deville Cadillac when he picked it up from Southampton Docks after it had been imported from Floresville, Texas.
He thought nothing of it until he was looking over the car with his son Neil, 29, and saw a strange looking spider with red spots and triangles on its back.
Mr Ashdown said: "It was intriguing at the time but we realised it wasn't an English spider because of the markings and weren't quite sure what it might do or how it might react.
"My son caught it by knocking it off the car with a twig, then coaxing it on to a piece of card, and then putting it in a jam jar."
The spider was taken to Iain Newby at the Dangerous Wild Animal Rescue Facility (DWARF), in Great Wakering, and it was only then identified as a black widow.
Such is his concern about the incident, Mr Ashdown has contacted several American car clubs to warn other enthusiasts importing vehicles to beware and has considered having the car fumigated.
More in today's Evening Echo
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