Replica Black Widow Bites Window Cleaner

Global warming blamed as venomous spider nibbles shocked window cleaner:

A window cleaner has told how he was attacked by a relative of the black widow spider as global warming brings more of the creatures to Sussex. The false black widow, whose Latin name is steatoda nobilis, can cause a heart attack by injecting venom into its victim's central nervous system. And the creature, more commonly found in warmer climates, is on the march through Southern England. One of the spiders attacked Darren Skilton, causing swelling the size of a golf ball. Mr Skilton, of Arlington Gardens, Saltdean, now believes people must be on their guard against the spider in case it strikes again. He said: "I was settling down for bed the other night and was lying on my back when I suddenly felt this bite. "I looked down and saw this thing walking off so I grabbed it. I got another two bites and saw two other spiders. Luckily, I managed to capture them and put them in jars. I've had them identified as steatoda nobilis, otherwise known as the false black widow." Experts told The Argus the spiders are increasingly common in Sussex and confirmed their bites can cause serious illness. Dr Gerald Legg, of the Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton, has himself been bitten by one of the spiders. He said: "It is not uncommon in the South of England, especially along our coast. "It usually lives in dark places like sheds or behind stacks of timber." The false black widow originates from the Canary Islands but has found its way to Britain during the past 100 years, beginning in Dorset, with populations slowly working their way east to Sussex and Surrey. Global warming is said to be one of the reasons the spider has thrived in this country and could now be increasing in population. Mr Skilton's encounter is not the first time someone in Sussex has been bitten by the species. Mr Skilton is now concerned a baby or a small child could be bitten by the false black widow and urged people to be on the lookout. He said: "I was fine. The swelling went down quickly and I didn't suffer any long-lasting effects. But I am worried that one of these things could do some real damage if it bit a small child."