By James Rodger

Copyright birminghammail

A warning has been issued for UK households over the “most dangerous spider” in England – which is invading beds and underwear. One man has been left with a swollen face after being bitten this week. One 72-year-old from Cambridge woke up to a swollen face after a spider bit him, while a second person’s bite caused swelling and even turned black. The spiders – false widows – may be small but have a nasty venom. The arachnids are “widely regarded as the most dangerous spider breeding in Britain,” according to an Oxford University zoologist, Clive Hambler in his 2020 paper. READ MORE Major update over calls for new 11pm to 9.30am bus travel rule in England “I woke up and I couldn’t see correctly out of my left eye,” 72-year-old Richard, from Cambridge, who was bitten, said. “I just put my hand up to brush away whatever it was, only to discover it was a large spider. “So I brushed it away, but not before it bit me.” Richard continued: “Within a minute or two I realised something was up. “At first, I thought it was just some irritation. It was only when it started to swell up that I thought to myself ‘that spider’s bitten me’. “It felt like someone sticking needles into me actually – that’s the best way I could describe it. It was very painful.” Vicky O’Dell, 52, was in Skegness “getting dressed, I had just gone to the toilet and I pulled my shorts up, and I felt something”. She said: “This massive spider fell out of my knickers.” Vicky, from Staffordshire , said: “I was bitten on the top of my left thigh, and you could see the two bite marks.” A Solihull man, meanwhile, was also bitten. He said: “But gradually over the weekend my symptoms just got worse and that’s when I noticed a rash appearing down my legs and swelling. “By Monday I found it hard to walk and to put weight on my legs.” He warned: “Check everywhere for them, and if you have children around, get someone out to try to rid your home of them.”