Footage has emerged of a false widow spider hiding on a caravan's gas bottle - after a man came across it while accidentally getting close to the creature.

The video, captured on Thursday in Newquay, Cornwall, UK, shows the spider and its web hidden on the inside next to the bottle's handle.

The filmer later said: "I was moving the gas bottle on the back of my caravan down on the holiday park, I moved my hand and saw it and thought 'my god it's a false widow, it could have bit me!'"

False widows are reported to be 'invading' the UK in the coming weeks due to weather conditions - a warm year without extreme flooding followed by a recent temperature dip causing them to seek shelter and a mate.

A three-year-old girl was hospitalised by one earlier this month and others have fallen victim to their dangerous attacks.