A FAMILY had to flee from their Merseyside home after opening a bag of bananas – and finding what appeared to be a deadly spider.

The Ryan family, of College Road North, Crosby, discovered the arachnid while unpacking groceries after a shopping trip to Costco.

As the spider fled for cover, the panicking family called the police and Sefton Council in to help find it.

It was initially believed the intruder could be a Wondering spider, whose bite can be fatal or cause spasms.

As a precaution, the Ryans moved out of their home for a week and had it sprayed with tropical pesticide.

Insect monitors were even set up around the property to try and catch the spider if it was still alive.

Father Darryl Ryan went back on Tuesday, wearing protective overalls and holding a car mirror attached to a fishing rod to look for the invader.

He said: “We were there for two hours, but did not find it.”

Last night, experts studying a picture of the spider say they believed it was harmless.

A council spokesman said: “From photos provided, three independent experts confirmed to the best of their knowledge the spider is not dangerous to human health.

“The Natural History Museum identification and advisory service in London indicated the spider is possibly known as a fishing spider, which is not a danger to human health.

“As a precaution, Costco arranged for the house to be sprayed using a tropical pesticide and insect monitors were set up around the property to try and capture the spider if it is still alive.”