Hundreds of pupils in Tower Hamlets given next week off as pest control teams attempt to tackle outbreak

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Two primary schools have been forced to close after they became infested with false widow spiders.

Hundreds of pupils who attend the Osmani and Thomas Buxton primary schools in Tower Hamlets, east London, have been told they won’t have to go in for the next week as pest controllers try to tackle the outbreak.

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The spiders, which resemble the black widow, are not considered dangerous but do produce a nasty bite, Tower Hamlets Council said.

A spokesman said: “The Osmani and Thomas Buxton primary schools are both temporarily closed due to a spider infestation.

“Pest control teams are currently on the premises of both schools, dealing with the infestation of false widow spiders. Due to health concerns for staff and pupils, the schools will be closed until next week.”

The species – whose Latin name is Steatoda nobilis – is not native to the UK but is thought to have arrived in 1879 via a bunch of bananas from Madeira. After more than a century of being confined to the far south west, it is now spreading northwards as the climate warms. There have been two sightings in Scotland.

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The council said it is not aware of any children at the schools being bitten but urged parents worried about bites to contact their GP.