A woman mistook a fake spider for a ''tarantula the size of her hand''.

The unnamed lady reported the terrifying creature to the RSPCA who came out to retrieve it and have confirmed it wasn't real and was just a plastic toy.

RSPCA inspector Nikki Denham told Metro.co.uk: ''The caller had stated there was a tarantula the size of her hand in the under stairs cupboard.

''She had left it in there not touching it and called us for assistance.

''I turned up with gloves and nets to confine the creature and the woman left me to it, shutting doors around me to prevent its escape.

''It was dark under the stairs but I could see legs behind a vacuum cleaner that certainly were tarantula size, however as I shone light in I could see that it was in fact a toy plastic tarantula.

''The poor caller was obviously embarrassed, but it won't be the first or last call we'll have like that I'm sure.''