SpiderEx Blog

A SEVERE arachnophobe went into the "tarantula's den" and survived a five-minute encounter with the hairy spider.

Marc Weinberg, 43, set his fears aside to help raise money for Diabetes UK after being diagnosed with the condition earlier this year.

Marc, of Whitebarn Lane, Dagenham, has been petrified of the eight-legged creatures since he was six and has twice called police after finding a spider in his bath.

The computer engineer, who has three children and one granddaughter, once abandoned his car - with the keys still in the engine - after a spider crawled inside.

He even fled a bus he was supposed to be driving when a little money spider climbed aboard.

But Marc says he has conquered his phobia after holding an adult tarantula for five minutes at the Cold-blooded Reptile Centre in Rainham.

"I really was terrified, at one point I actually forgot to breathe," he said.

"I had two first aiders there in the end, just in case things went badly wrong and my heart gave out or something like that. It was an incredible experience, though, and it's totally cured my fear of spiders."

His wife of 16 years, Penny, 40, was proud of her husband who hopes to raise £500 for Diabetes UK. So far Marc has raised £300.

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