EEK! Is this a deadly funnel-web spider?

The short answer is no.

It is the completely harmless labyrinth spider, which is common in Britain but often mistaken for the highly venomous Australian species.

The confusion comes from its funnel-shaped web.

This picture was taken by Nicky Fraser, of the Hereford Times Camera Club, who spotted the spider in her garden at Three Ashes, near Ross-on-Wye.

Labyrinth spiders are common, but because they are a dull grey-brown colour they go largely unnoticed. It is only when they start spinning their webs in summer that people notice them.

And that's when they think of the real funnel-web spider.

But, according to UK Safari, the Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) and the northern funnel-web spider (Hadronyche formidabilis) are both found in Australasia.

They are relatively large spiders and have large, rearward-facing fangs capable of piercing through fingernails, says Australian Geographic.

Its venom can kill someone in just 15 minutes!

Unlike the Australian funnel-webs, the bite of the labyrinth does not cause harm people. In fact, none of Britain's native spiders pose any real danger, although on very rare occasions they may cause an allergic reaction in some people, says UK Safari.

The labyrinth's funnel-shaped web is not a lair to where the spider lures its prey. It is, in fact, a defensive structure that protects the spider's eggs.