WHEN a wide-eyed 14-year-old boy asked his mum if he could have a pet tarantula, the last thing he expected her to say was yes.

"I think it was a case of trying to freak my mum out by saying I wanted a tarantula, but she called my bluff by saying yes,"said Ben Whenlock, now aged 25.

His eight-legged furry friend, named Audrey by his mum because if its auburn colouring, is now a contender in the Bolton Evening News Pet Idol competition.

"It was a joke that back-fired really, but I have never looked back,"said Ben, of Cotswold Close, Horwich.

Audrey is an 11-year-old Chilean Rose tarantula, and in spider years it is quite old, as the females tend to live between 10 and 17 years.

"It was always an interesting talking point, to say that I had a tarantula,"said Ben, "and when it shed its skin I could take it into school."

But 10cm-diameter spiders are not to everyone's taste and Ben often found that his pet would scare some of his friends.

He said: "Every time I have spoken to girls about it a lot of them said it was interesting but when they saw it walking around in its tank they would freak out."

Audrey, who eats a diet of live crickets and locust, was bought from Pearson's Pet Shop, in Lee Lane, Horwich.

It set Ben's mum back a mere £15, with a further £40 on a spider tank and a heater to keep its eight legs warm.

Ben said that Audrey quickly became part of the family and added: "I think they are good pets, as long as you look after them, and they are quiet easy to keep."

Although Ben loves his pet spider he has always avoided handling her, unless he is re-capturing it when it escapes from the tank.

Ben, a bar worker at Rivington Barn, said: "After seeing the size of her fangs, I was always a bit wary picking her up. I have not really got the bottle to put my hand in there!"

However, tarantulas like Audrey are not dangerous and a bite would only be as painful as a wasp sting.

Ben's mum, Val, aged 50, has never complained about his strange pet and even enjoyed stints of looking after her when he was at university.

The Pet Idol competition is open to all pets, from tortoises and budges to horses and llamas. There are four categories: cats, dogs, equestrian and unusual animals, and small animals.

Look out for our coupon appearing in the Bolton Evening News and send it with your photograph to Pet Idol, Promotions, Bolton Evening News, Newspaper House, Churchgate, Bolton, BL1 1DE. Ben sent his picture of Audrey via his mobile phone and you can too. Send it to petidol@boltoneveningnews.co.uk with your name, address, contact details, what your pet is and its name. Entires close on Monday, April 25.