Poisonous Spiders In Milton Keynes

4 October 2011, 06:00 | Updated: 6 October 2011, 16:25

People in Milton Keynes are being warned 'Steatoda nobilis' or ''false widow'' spiders could have spread after a nest was removed from a resident's garden.

The false widow spider is closely related to the notorious black widow spider and although its bite is not as venomous, some people who have been bitten by one have been admitted to hospital with symptoms including localized pain, chest pains, nausea and vomiting.

We spoke to some local residents - Hannah Poltock told us some people don't want to come to the area ''I'm fine with it because spiders don't bother me but I've got friends who are petrified of spiders and one of my friends has said ''I'm not coming to Bletchley until they've got rid of the spiders''

Ralph Smith who works nearby said he's worried for the children ''Where I work we have a lot of children coming in and the last thing you want is one for one of them to pick one up''

Louise from Bletchley told us she's scared ''There are poisonous ones about and we're not used to them being in this area so it is quite scary. We all need to be more aware I think, especially of what they look like 'cause I don't know what they look like and I'm petrified of normal house spiders. I've got to walk past the area where I know they were aswell now, so I'm even more scared.''

The spiders have been resident to south west England for decades but appear to be spreading north and east with the warmer weather. If you think that you have these spiders on your property then please call the team on 01908 252551.

Karen Ford, Head of Trading Standards said; "Whilst extremely unlikely to be fatal, if you are bitten by one of these spiders you will certainly know about it and you should seek medical treatment as a precaution. Older people, children and pets are particularly vulnerable to such bites and extra care should be taken accordingly".