Warning as man bitten by UK’s most dangerous spider in bed

Little did he know at the time, David Brimson was joined under the covers by a false widow spider last August.

The arachnid has been described by experts as the “most dangerous spider in Britain”.

The 65-year-old felt a sharp pain in his side when turning over in bed and made the shocking discovery.

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David Brimson. (Image: Freya Brimson)

“I felt something on my leg in bed, which I brushed away before I rolled over and felt something hard on my side.

“It felt like a large crumb. I picked it up, put it on the bedside table and got a torch, finding out it was a wriggling spider.

“Not only did I find that it had bitten me too, and it was starting to sting. It’s the first time a spider has bitten me!”

Two weeks later at the end of August 2025, and the rash was still visible but diminishing, thankfully for David, who warned others living in the area.

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The rash. (Image: David Brimson)

“Just to let everyone in Yarnton know, for your family’s safety, including children, to be aware of and check ceilings.

“The rash is still itchy and 13 cm long. It’s certainly worse than a wasp, which only lasts a day with me.

“I’m using Piriton and a hydrocortisone cream. The spider is about as big as a fingernail and certainly not as big as a house spider.

“I didn’t seek medical attention because, unfortunately, it can be difficult to get an appointment locally.

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“However, we’re fortunate to have a reliable pharmacist opposite where we live who recommended hydrocortisone cream to help with the itching, which provided some relief.”

The former NHS renal technician was unfazed by the false widow encounter, having never had a phobia of spiders like many do in the UK.

“I wasn’t overly concerned, thinking the symptoms would subside more quickly,” said David.

“I’m not particularly afraid of spiders, as I will often pick them up to move outside if I find one indoors.”

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Oxford University zoologist Clive Hambler said the false widow is “widely regarded as the most dangerous spider breeding in Britain”.

They are not native to Britain, though, and are believed to have come here in banana boxes from the Canary Islands in the 1800s.

Dr Tom Elwood, an arachnologist, said: “August is when male spiders become active – they’re searching for a mate and they’ll wander through open windows, up walls, into bathtubs – anywhere they can.”

The noble false widow is the largest of the three, with females growing up to 14mm in body length (10mm for males).

This spider species has dark brown legs and the front section of its body, while its abdomen can vary with patterns of cream and dark brown marks (sometimes described as skull-shaped).