JUST the sight of a tiny money spider was once enough to send cold shivers down Chris Higman's spine.

But now she has gone to incredible lengths to conquer a lifetime's fear of creepy-crawlies.

For the 48-year-old Eastleigh mum, of Beaulieu Road, Boyatt Wood, gritted her teeth to allow a huge tarantula to crawl across her body.

Brave Chris overcame her arachnophobia to raise money for the Countess Mounbatten Hospice at West End.

She faced her fear at Hampshire County Council's Museum Services headquarters, where Simon Moore keeps a 12-year-old Chilean tarantula called Roseita.

"At first I was so scared I cried and didn't think I would be able to get anywhere near the spider," said Chris, whose friends have pledged around £650 in sponsorship.

"In the end I didn't mind holding it and they even put it on my shoulder to take some photographs. It was fantastic - I wanted to take the spider home with me."

Simon, conservator of natural sciences, praised Chris for overcoming her fears.

"She was very brave. A tarantula has half-inch long fangs which could cause a fair amount of damage if you are bitten - I thought it best not to mention this to her."

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.