A STUDENT has told how she was left seriously ill after being bitten by a poisonous spider whilst holidaying at a Welsh caravan park.

Eighteen-year-old Abby Tannetta, of Caerphilly, was enjoying a break at her parents' caravan on the Cardigan Bay Holiday Park when she was attacked.

The teenaer woke up with a pain under her arm and spotted a spider in her bed - thought to be a false widow.

Abby was later rushed into hospital for emergency surgery amid fears she could contract sepsis.

The scary encounter came just days after the British Arachnological Society reported a huge increase in sightings of all species of spiders - including venomous false widows.

"I woke up with a sharp pain, looked next to me and I just saw this giant spider running away from the bed,” said Abby.

"It was really sore and just got worse. It got bigger, it was very red, itchy and so sore that I couldn't move my arm or sleep on the side.

"I was feeling really dizzy and weak, I was boiling, and I felt like my heart was racing and the lump had grown even more to the size of a golf ball.

"I collapsed as the doctors were rushing me into surgery but thankfully they managed to do it otherwise I could have got sepsis which you can die from.”

Abby had been to her parents' caravan many times before and had never come across such a spider.

She was later given general anaesthetic for the surgery where doctors drained the infected area and removed the lump but her body was left weakened from fighting the infection.

"I think it was a false widow spider,” she said. “I've done some research and found other people in Wales who have been bit by them and in the same place under their arm as well.

“My photo of the spider matches the markings of false widows I've seen online too.”