POLICE and coastguards in a Somerset town were called out in the middle of the night - by a spider!

The alarm at Weston-super-Mare Coastguard Rescue Team's base was triggered at 3.19am yesterday (Sunday).

Police rushed to the scene and the station master arrived soon after after being alerted by his ops room.

Fellow coastguards received a message telling them to be ready to go if needed.

But they were all stood down after it emerged the alarm had been set off by a spider spinning its web, which was picked up by a motion sensor.

A coastguard spokesperson said: "It turns out a spider had been busy during the early hours and its web had triggered one of the motion sensors. At least they work, albeit a little sensitive.

"Web cleared and alarm set and tested, our SO returned home.

"At least on this occasion no one was in need of our services and we could all sit back and have a good chuckle about it."

But they'll find it hard to convince their friends they're not spinning a yarn.