A total of 12 people in the island have gone to hospital to be treated for spider bites in the last five years.

A Freedom of Information (FoI) request was submitted to Manx Care which asked how many people had presented with spider bites at the emergency department at Noble’s Hospital or the minor injuries unit at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital (RDCH).

In response, Manx Care confirmed there had been five such cases presented at Noble’s Hospital and seven at RDCH.

Due to the low numbers, Manx Care said it couldn’t break the figures down into separate years as it might lead to the identification of patients.

No further details were provided on the type of spider bite and if it related to an allergic reaction.