A SHOP assistant managed not to go bananas when she was confronted with a large tarantula type spider in a box of fruit.

Mrs Judy Marshall (36) discovered the large "thick and furry" spider, in a box of bananas at Poole's store in Vernon Road, Greenmount, on Friday morning (Jan 5).

"I saw it move among the fruit and I just froze. I didn't scream, I just thought of the customers," she said.

"I knew I had to keep my eye on it until the manageress had finished serving.

"You hear all these things about spiders being poisonous, I didn't want it escaping and a customer to find it," added brave Mrs Marshall who is pictured with the spider.

Manageress Anne McCauley calmly put the spider into a bag and earlier this week it was being kept under a heat lamp. The bananas had come from South America.

Mrs Marshall said: "We think it is a baby tarantula. It is brown and black.

Shop owner, Robert Poole said: "We are appealing for anyone who was interested in spiders to come and take it away.

"I have been here 14 or 15 years and never had anything like this before. We don't like spiders here!"

The shop also contacted the RSPCA.