PET shop owner Geoff Cook has found out the hard way that a tarantula is not man's best friend after his giant pet spider bit him and left him in hospital for more than a week.

Mr Cook, 51, was taken into hospital on Wednesday last week after complaining about feeling dizzy and having blurred vision - but thought nothing of the fact that he had been bitten twice and sprayed with irritating fine hair by his new pet.

His wife Pat is hoping her husband will be home from Queen's Park Hospital by the weekend after under going a series of tests to find out the reason he was taken ill - including a brain scan at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

She said: "Geoff used to treat the spider like a puppy and let it crawl all over him. He was forever handling it and apparently that is the worse thing to do as they get very irritated.

"When he complained of feeling ill and was taken to hospital we didn't even think about the spider bites. It wasn't until I read up on the habits of tarantulas that I though I'd better tell the doctors. I don't think we will be keeping it much longer."

The couple, who live at Cherry Tree Farm, Tockholes, bought Pets World on Bridge Street, Darwen eight months ago and Mr Cook bought the spider from a customer for £45 two weeks ago.

Iain Valentine, manager of Blackpool Zoo warned that anybody wishing to keep a tarantula as a pet should do some research first.

He said: "There are various different breeds of tarantula and some are more vicious than others, depending on what part of the world they are from. The temperament of the spider can vary according to the temperature of the tank."

He added: "A bite from a tarantula is no worse than a bee sting but some people can have an allergic reaction and in that case it can be a lot more serious."

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