A teenager is recovering from three operations after she was bitten by a venomous spider at an Enfield cinema.

Stephanie Georgiou claims she was bitten by a false widow spider at Enfield Cineworld in Southbury Road, on January 2, just one day after her 18th birthday.

It wasn't until three days after she had watched the film that the teenager realised something was wrong with her hand.

Her hand became swollen and full of pus and her GP immediately recognised she had been bitten by an insect.

Despite being given antibiotics, her condition continued to deteriorate and was taken to Chase Farm Hospital in The Ridgeway, Enfield with a raised heartbeat and fever which doctors suspected was caused by a false widow bite.

Since then, she has had two operations to remove tissue from her hand that have left her with a two by three centimetre wound that will require grafting with skin from her arm, leaving her permanently scarred.

Miss Georgiou has admitted that she cannot face going back to see another film at the Enfield cinema.

She said: "They have had to take two massive chunks out to make sure all the infection has been cut out.

"I can't face going back to another movie, it's been the worst thing ever."

"It happened right at the start of the film when the adverts were playing.”

"I sat down and went to put my drink in the cup holder but must have left it there for a bit too long. I felt this thing like an electric shock, and I scratched my right hand but didn't think about it and carried on watching the film.

"I started feeling really hot, but I thought it was just the temperature in the cinema, and my hand was itching.

"Then when we left I didn't feel right. I was really dizzy and I snapped at my date."

A Cineworld spokesman said that they are now investigating the events that took place at the Enfield cinema.

They said: “Cineworld is investigating an incident at its Enfield cinema where it has been alleged that a customer was bitten by a spider.

“Customer safety is our absolute priority and we instructed a specialist pest control team to carry out an immediate inspection of the whole premises. Pest control teams carry out regular checks at all of our cinemas on an ongoing basis.” 

Miss Georgiou added: “I haven't even been able to enjoy being 18. It was my birthday the day before I was bitten."