Children found playing with Tarantula at Scots petrol station

A TARANTULA has been rescued after children found it '“ and threatened to dump it in a bin '“ at a Scottish petrol station.

Tarantulas have become a favourite as a pet

A terrified woman who is afraid of spiders stepped in when she noticed school children with the tarantula at the station in the Central Belt.

Animal rescue charity the Scottish SPCA were called in and are now looking after the arachnoid, which they believe may have escaped from a nearby home.

SSPCA Rescue Officer Emma Sergeant said: “The lady who rescued the tarantula had heard the children were planning to dump it in the bin.

“Although she has a fear of spiders, she managed to contain it until I arrived. While tarantulas frighten a lot of people, they are actually quite popular pets.

“It’s possible the tarantula belongs to someone who lives nearby and we’d really like to return it home if it has gone missing.”

She added: “If no-one comes forward we’ll find it a new owner who understands its needs.”

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