Cathy Nicholl faces her fear of spiders

AN arachnophobe thinks that she may be cured after facing her eight-legged phobia head on.

Cathy Nicholl felt that the only way to rid herself of her fear of spiders was to handle one. So with shaking hands, a racing heartbeat and a look of pure fear on her face, she did just that.

Cathy, 34, from Southampton, was at Marwell Zoo to cure her phobia ahead of a charity trek across North Vietnam in October, when she is likely to see hundreds of spiders.

Cathy, from Waterside Park, who has unsuccessfully been hypnotised in the past, said: “There was a moment when I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, but I knew how disappointed I would be if I didn’t do it, and Rosie was such a star. She hardly moved at all.”

To sponsor Cathy on her trek for Animal Asia, visit justgiving.com/ catherinenicholl.