It is ‘spider season’ meaning we might start seeing more of the eight-legged creatures around our homes – and one Great Harwood woman has shared a picture of a particularly ‘strange’ spider she spotted.

Tracey Harwood, one of the Lancashire Telegraph’s camera club members, shared a picture of a leggy spider she spotted on her stairs.

A spokesperson for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust confirmed it was a species of harvestman spider, known for its very long legs that can reach up to five centimetres long.

Tracey Harwood found this spider in her Great Harwood homeTracey Harwood found this spider in her Great Harwood home (Image: Tracey Harwood)

Tracey said the spider in her home had a legspan of “about 7.5cm” in total with a little body.

Tracey said: “There were strange spiders around my house this morning.

“The picture was real and it was on the window frame in our stairs. I only posted it because I have never seen a spider like that.

"It was about 7.5cm [long] but had such a little body. I am glad everyone liked the photo!”

Many have since commented on the photo.

One person said: “I’d be moving out”.

Another said: “What a very odd-looking spider”.

A spokesperson for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust confirmed it was a Dicranopalpus ramosus agg spider, also known as a harvestman, which are typically found outside.

They said: “It is a harvestman, Dicranopalpus ramosus agg,  usually found outside in fences and stone walls and now quite common after being introduced from Europe in the 1970s.

“It is spider season now, where you will see spiders in your home 'looking for love', trying to find a mate.

"Most of these spiders will be in your home and really need to stay there in their quiet corners where they will keep fly numbers under control.

“More than 75 per cent of spiders live in our homes unnoticed most of the year, only coming out now. If you take them outside they will die.

“In the case of this harvestman, it's more of an outdoors type, probably driven inside by the heavy rain.”