Published: 10:03 BST, 20 August 2026 | Updated: 10:05 BST, 20 August 2026
A woman in Kent was left with a 'crater' in her leg after multiple bites from a false widow spider.
Danni Virgo's ordeal began back in 2020 when she brought her clothes in from the washing line and decided to put on her freshly–laundered pyjamas.
Within seconds, the 45–year–old felt a sharp pinch on her right thigh before seeing a small spider crawl out the bottom of her pyjama bottoms.
The mum–of–one noticed a small red lump appear on her leg, and immediately grew concerned when the mark turned black the following day.
The 10p–sized bite left a crater in Ms Virgo's skin that doctors confirmed was caused by the venom of a false widow – the UK's most dangerous spider.
Luckily, Ms Virgo's wound healed without surgical intervention, but just weeks later the mum was bitten twice more by a false widow, only to discover her garden is 'infested' with the arachnids.
She tried to battle the beasties using peppermint spray on the fence along with natural oils and anti–spider sprays but nothing worked and the spiders won.
Horrified, Ms Virgo now refuses to go into her own garden or hang her washing outside – six years on from her terrifying ordeal.
A woman in Kent was left with a 'crater' in her leg after multiple bites from a false widow spider
Danni Virgo's ordeal began back in 2020 when she brought her clothes in from the washing line and decided to put on her freshly–laundered pyjamas
NHS figures reveal that there were 100 hospital admissions in 2025 linked to spider bites – up from 47 in 2015.
This sharp rise is being attributed to the growing numbers of the noble false widow spider in the country.
Ms Virgo – who still has a scar from the incident – is now warning others to steer clear of the venomous creepy–crawlies, especially in light of rising spider–related hospitalisations in the UK.
Ms Virgo, from New Romney, Kent, said: 'We have a washing line in my garden and they like to hide in the pegs.