Is this a false widow? (Warning: picture!)

[gloominous]

Am not usually squeamish about spiders, but have been slightly nervous of this one, which is a kind I've never seen before - since it appeared a few months ago I haven't seen any of our usual house spiders.

It resembles the false widow pics I've seem online, but I'm no expert and had no desire to get up close and personal with it (except to encourage it out of the back door with a piece of paper!) Am all for live and let live but I have a toddler who likes to touch everything...

Any experts about?

Following with interest as we had this charming visitor last night as well.

Yes. You can see the 'skull' on its back.
We have loads of them outside and now indoors too. I think if you can keep the webs down with hoovering you probably will be ok as they are very shy and you hardly see them. They run for cover if disturbed.

So, he moved in few months ago and has begun systematically murdering every other spider in your house? What will he do when he runs out of spiders?

You should move. 🕷

EffYouSeeYay thanks for putting that in my head - he /she was hanging out on the landing outside our bedroom door

Web lace spiders are also similar. Found one in the shed, with a load of dead ones in the corner. They have strange webs compared to normal spiders.