Soldier packs a bite in webbing (From South Wales Argus)

Soldier packs a bite in webbing

4:20pm Sunday 24th May 2009 in News Exclusive By Chris Wood, Reporter

MYSTERY surrounds the journey of a spider found at a soldier’s home near Beachley Barracks, Chepstow.

Corporal Ian Sweet of 1st Battalion, the Rifles found what is believed to be a broad-faced sac spider under a vegetable box in his kitchen on Friday.

The creature has a nasty bite and can cause infections.

Cpl Sweet said “it looked like nothing I’d seen before” and he trapped it in a glass before calling the RSPCA.

He returned from Afghanistan five weeks ago.

The Rifles have been involved in an eight month tour in Helmand Province. Cpl Sweet was convinced he brought the spider home in his kit.

But RSPCA inspector for Newport, Gary Lucas, said the broad-faced sac spider is native to North America. It is found in Canada and areas of the USA such as Georgia, Alabama and Kansas.

Mr Lucas said: “The spider is from a warm climate which is why it would have survived in Afghanistan.

So, it is possible it could have got there in the kit of an American soldier and then somehow transferred to kit of a British soldier.”

Mr Lucas was taking the spider to experts at Cardiff University for identification.

The creature was around five centimetres in length.

Mr Lucas said he hadn’t seen this type of spider before.

But many rare spiders and reptiles have been brought to Gwent in fuit and vegetables deliveries to supermarkets- another possible explanation as to how the broad-faced sac spider arrived in Mr Sweet’s house.

“It is not deadly,” said Mr Lucas. “But it has a nasty bite, a bit like a bee sting”.

He added that the creature would probably be able to survive during British summer.