‘Phobia store’ is aiming to cure our worst fears

A new I'm A Celebrity-style attraction that challenges visitors to conquer their fear of creepy crawlies and other phobias has been launched ahead of Halloween.

Anyone scared of spiders will be encouraged to handle an eight-inch Amazonian Tarantula.

And those with a fear of snakes could find themselves confronting an 8ft boa constrictor or a python draped around their neck.

The phobia store is being promoted at the London Bridge Experience as the chance for sufferers to "face their greatest fear".

Like squirming celebrities performing Bushtucker Trials in the hit I'm A Celebrity ITV1 show, they have the chance to get to grips with snakes, spiders, scorpions, rats, toads, cockroaches, millipedes and other bugs. Organisers claim to have the "cure" for more than a dozen phobias through direct confrontation.

They include the relatively common arachnophobia (fear of spiders) orphidiophobia (fear of snakes), and murophobia (fear of rats and mice). There will be witches, clowns and zombies on hand for the more bizarre fears.

But the attraction's medical adviser Dr Breck Lord warned that some phobias might be too deep-rooted to cure. "The phobias we are asking people to face are specific animal phobias," he said.

The attraction runs until Sunday.