A dad has spoken of his shock after a lump on a banana he bought from Lidl allegedly turned out to contain dozens of deadly spiders.
Nick Southam, 49, was munching on the healthy snack when he spotted a large mass on its side.
When he cut it open, he said he was stunned when lethal Brazilian wandering spiders crawled out.
The car engineer managed to get a photo of one of the spiders and posted it on iSpot, a website used to identify wildlife.
The results came back over the weekend and the spider was confirmed as a Brazilian wandering spider, also known as a Ctenidae.
They are known for being aggressive thanks to the high toxicity of their bite, making it one of the most venomous in the world.
Mr Southam, from Droitwich, Worcestershire, said: “Halfway through, I noticed a lump on the banana skin.
“I cut the lump open after finishing it, and tiny spiders came out. It had small eggs on the side of the banana.
“They were dozens of the tiny things but I didn’t know where they came from. They were not very active and they would not survive well in our climate.
“There were only a few alive ones as most of the spiders were dead.”
The banana was one of four he bought loose from Lidl in Droitwich last Monday.
The dad-of-two added: “It was only after I realised when I researched ‘spider in banana’ that this has happened before.
“There have been a few incidents over the past few years of people finding spiders in banana skins.
“I did some research and looked at photos of them when they’re grown.
“I also found out they’re the deadliest spider in the world. I find it interesting if a little scary."
Wandering spiders can grow up to 20cm (8ins) in diameter from its leg span.
They eat insects, other spiders and even small amphibians, reptiles and mice.
If a human is bitten, they will experience severe burning pain at the site of the bite, sweating and goosebumps on the skin.
Within 30 minutes, symptoms can worsen to affect blood pressure , heartbeat, nausea, abdominal cramping, hypothermia, vertigo, blurred vision, convulsions and excessive sweating as the body goes into shock.
Mirror Online has contacted Lidl for comment.
