To think I may have released a False Widow/Poisonous spider?

[MissionItsPossible]

Was brushing my teeth this morning when I noticed a massive spider in a cup on the sink that made me jump. I didn't want it to crawl out so I put a tub of cream on top of the cup to lock it in and then got a shower. I didn't want to leave it there all day in case it died so before I went to work I carried the cup (still covered by the tub) and went to the bottom of the garden and released it. To my HORROR what I thought was a normal black spider actually had a yellowish body with black spots on it Does anyone know if this sounds like a poisonous spider? I am from England and live in a city.

NO PICTURES PLEASE.

I wouldn't worry about it. Firstly, all spiders are venomous - its just that few have mouthparts strong enough to pierce human skin.
Secondly even if it was some exotic tropical specimen (unlikely) , it won't be able to survive our climate. In fact, its probably been eaten by a bird already.

Well it wasn't a false widow.

Actually it sounds like a garden spider.

Thank you, you've both made me feel better.

I am dying to google 'yellow spider with black spots' but don't want to see any pictures!

My house in E London was covered in false widows. Honestly, dozens of them. They're everywhere in that part of London. You just live with them.

Jam, why East London in particular? Is West, North or South London not good enough for them?

They're pretty rife all over the SE.

Sounds more like a garden spider. False widows are mainly black.

Increasing year on year too.

False widows aren't 'massive' either. They're medium/small sized.

There is nothing to worry about.
We don't have any dangerous spiders in the UK. Any instances of people having reactions to a false widow bite were secondary infections that can happen from any break in the skin.
You've got a much greater chance of being hurt by a mosquito who actually go after you to feed on you than you have by any UK spider and tbh any northern European spider. Please try and get it in perspective x

Thanks everyone

This. This is why we left London for the north 😂

OP I think the moral of this story is NEXT TIME LET IT DIE and burn your house down just to be sure the corpse has gone too!!

WittyJack

@jamoncrumpets
Soon it’s going to be like the Waitrose map (the ‘W’s’ being ‘widows’, of course).

Mission I was looking forward to Waitrose finally teaching us - you’ve put me right off thinking they might be followed by a tide of false widows!