Supermarket is closed over fears male shoppers could suffer permanent erections...

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An Austrian supermarket was evacuated after the store manager reportedly spotted a banana-loving spider capable of causing permanent erections in men.

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The Penny shop in Krems an der Donau, 45 miles west of Vienna, remains closed since Tuesday over fears of the four-inch black and red spider.

Emergency services were called and warn the spider, still at large, may have been a highly venomous Brazilian Wandering Spider, known to reach Europe by hiding in bunches of bananas.

The creature is one of the planet's most venomous spiders, and bites can be fatal after causing hypothermia, blurred vision, convulsions and, in some cases, erections. The spider's venom is even being studied for use in erectile dysfunction treatments after it was found that a bite from one of the spiders can give male victims a painful four-hour erection.

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spokesman for the Rewe retail group said that 'comprehensive cleaning and disinfection measures' are now under way to prepare the store for reopening.

But authorities added that: 'Despite an extensive search, no spiders have been found to date.'

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The size and colouring of the 'unidentifiable' spider led authorities to believe it was a Brazilian Wandering Spider, capable of emitting a deadly neurotoxin.

Some 4,000 people are bitten by the arachnid each year, with 0.5 per cent of bites leading to death.

Much has been done to develop an effective anti-venom, reducing the likelihood of death.

But just one bite from the spider can also cause severe cramping and tachycardia, or an increased heart rate.

The Brazilian Wandering spider appears in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most venomous arachnid.

Its scientific name - Phoneutria - is Greek for ‘murderess’.

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