Wildlife experts have criticised four London schools for closing their doors because of an invasion of false widow spiders.

Ellen Wilkinson Primary School, Star Primary School, Lister Community School and Rokeby School in east London were closed on Wednesday so buildings could be fumigated.

But experts from the charity Buglife and the educational group UK Wildlife have condemned the move as an over-reaction and warned that children may be at greater risk from the pesticides used to get rid of the spiders.

Buglife CEO Matt Shardlow said the closures were a ‘radical and unnecessary over-reaction to the tiny risk posed’

“Despite Noble false widows living in and around hundreds of UK schools for many years we are aware of no incidents of a bite causing significant health impacts to a school child,” he added.

“These sit-and-wait predators merely inhabit webs in discrete corners eating flies and other insects. On the other hand there are many severe negative health impacts recorded from exposure to pesticides.

“It is a shame that the education, and potentially the health, of these children is being harmed by this knee-jerk risk assessment.”

False widows, which are the size of a 50p, are often seen at this time of year because it is spider mating seasons meaning the males come inside to find females.