A greengrocer's assistant got the shock of her life when she discovered what she thought was a poisonous spider inside a box of satsumas.

Pat Marriot, an arachnophobe, was terrified when she saw the red-legged spider at Veg 'N' Things in Malvern.

Fearing it was dangerous, Peter Petherick, owner of the Church Street shop, trapped the spider in a jar and called the RSPCA.

The box of satsumas had come from South Africa, but when RSPCA fundraising co-ordinator Margaret Wylde collected it and sent it to West Midland Safari Park, it was identified as a woodlouse spider native to the UK.

Matt Swatman, the Safari Park's head discovery trail curator, later released it into woodland.

He said: "It's a native species, although it looks a little bit weird."

Mr Swatman said a bite from the spider could be painful, as it has strong jaws used to feed on woodlice.

He said he had been inundated with requests to identify spiders this week, including a house spider brought in after someone had seen a TV programme about tarantulas.

Greengrocer Peter Petherick said he was stunned to discover the spider was native.

"We hadn't seen one with red legs before," he said. "It wasn't acting like one of our spiders."

The spider was not the first unusual animal to turn up at Veg 'N' Things - a few years ago, a tree frog was found in a box of bananas.

Bristol Zoo also confirmed the spider as dysdera crocata, the woodlouse spider.

Spokesman Rachel Lawrence said the species was aggressive and could bite.

However, although it was venomous, as nearly all spiders are, it was not considered highly venomous.