A WOMAN from Poole was left terrified after she found a menacing-looking spider inside a bunch of bananas.

Sharon Pottle from Wallisdown discovered the creepy crawly after buying a bunch of bananas from the Sainsbury’s store in Alder Road.

The 47-year-old said: “I picked up four bananas from the box and put them in a plastic bag.

“I went home and when I was unpacking my shopping I pulled out the bananas and saw this big spider’s web wrapped around them.

“At first I just thought it was a bit of dust or something. Then I looked in the plastic bag and the spider was in the bottom.

“I just screamed. It was stood like it was still alive.

“I was shaking – I was absolutely terrified.”

After making the terrifying discovery, Miss Pottle called her boyfriend into the kitchen to see the unwelcomed stowaway.

The couple soon realised the arachnid, which was later identified by the store as a non-venomous Colombian spider, was in fact dead.

But not wanting to take any chances they trapped it in a plastic container and secured the lid.

Miss Pottle said: “It was light brown and had a black head. The body was really big – it was larger than a 50p piece.

“I have never seen a spider like it.”

The administration assistant, who works at Wilxy’s Windows and Doors, returned to Sainsbury’s and spoke to the store manager.

Miss Pottle handed over the spider, safely secured in the plastic pot, and was told it would be sent off for investigation. She was refunded the price of the bananas and was also given a £10 gift card as a gesture of good will.

She said: “The manager called me on Friday and left a message saying it was a Colombian spider and it wasn’t venomous.”

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We take these enquiries very seriously and we are looking into this.”