THE Cotswold town of Tetbury hit the news this weekend after reports a potentially dangerous spider had been found in a back garden.

The Sun, the Daily Mail and the Mirror all reported that the spider is on the loose after escaping from a plastic box.

Tetbury couple Helen and Jim Dodds spotted the eight-inch arachnid in their back garden.

Fearing it could be a venomous species, Jim trapped it in a plastic box.

He then tried to arrange for an expert to come and look at it.

When he later returned to check on it, the spider had gone.

Before its escape, Jim took a photo, but it doesn't show the markings on its back and abdomen.

Without these markings, experts have struggled to identify the spider.

However, one suggested it could be an Australasian or tropical ambush or funnel, and said it is likely to be an escapee from someone's collection.

All spiders are venomous, he said, and some of the species in this group (the Australian ones) 'have a nasty bite'.

He added that he would recommend a spider such as this one should only be dealt with by an expert.