VIDEO: Readers send in their pictures of false widow spiders (From This Is Local London)

Readers from Barnehurst, Erith, Sidcup and Welling sent in their images of false widow spiders

8:20am Friday 6th January 2012 in News By Kelly Smale

NEWS SHOPPER has been inviting readers to send in pictures of spiders, after it was revealed the UK's most venomous spider has been webbing its way into the borough.

The Steatoda noblis, known as the false widow spider or biting spider, has a brown bulbous abdomen with pale markings and can be mistaken for a black widow spider.

Last month we reported how Lewis Curran, a contributor to the Natural History Museum's online Nature Plus Bug Forum, found one in his dad's recycling bin, in Eynswood Drive, Sidcup, in November.

The 47-year-old has viewed the pictures sent in to News Shopper to determine what type of species they are.

SPIDER one

Charmagne Johns, of Park Crescent, Barnehurst, found a false widow spider by her front door around two months ago.

The 25-year-old said: "We have a dog and a small child, we don't want them getting bitten so we keep an eye out.

"In total on this day we found about 10 of them and many baby spiders."

Mr Curran confirmed this species was a very large female Steatoda noblis.

SPIDER two

Paul Fryer found a Steatoda noblis in his brother's back garden, in Brook Street, Erith, in June last year.

He said: "I was doing some gardening and laid on the path to take a rest, my hand got stung by a nettle and as I sat up I saw this stunning spider sitting on a nettle leaf.

"It was rather unresponsive. I poked it with a stick to see what would happen and it lifted up its front leg at me. Its abdomen was about a centimetre in length."

Mr Curran again confirmed this species was a false widow spider.

SPIDER 3

Jane Elkins found a huge spider at her home, in Westbrooke Road, Sidcup, in August last year.

Mr Curran said: "This is a male Tegenaria spider also known as The House spider.

There are about three species it could be, but it is pretty hard to tell unless you examine them under a microscope.

"The males tend to wander around a bit while the females stay in their large hammock webs.

"They have been known to give a nip, but only under duress and their venom is very very weak."

Spider four

Elaine Mitchell found what could be a false widow spider in her garage in Elsa Road, Welling in June last year.

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Send in your photos and videos of any scary arachnids you have spotted creeping around south east London and north Kent and we'll add them to our spider picture gallery.

Make sure you include your name and where you took the picture and email to jross@london.newsquest.co.uk.