Man injured in blast while killing spider

A man suffered serious burns after he blew himself up trying to kill a spider. The 28-year-old had tried to attack the spider with an aerosol can at his home in Clacton in Essex.

He had been called by his wife to deal with a spider she had seen going behind the lavatory on Monday. Unable to reach it, the man decided to kill it by spraying it. However he was unable to see whether it was dead because the bulb had gone. He used a cigarette lighter to illuminate the room, but ignited the gas fumes and caused an explosion.

The blast was so strong it blew him off his feet. He suffered burns to his head, legs and torso and, after dousing himself in cold water, was taken by ambulance to hospital. A spokesman for the fire service said: "We're not entirely sure whether the spider got away or not but there was no sign of it."