Defence secretary Gavin Williamson's pet tarantula Cronus set to get the boot from MoD office

Defence secretary Gavin Williamson's pet tarantula Cronus set to get the boot from MoD office

Mr Williamson kept Cronus on his Commons desk when he was Chief Whip to terrify MPs into toeing the party line

Mr Williamson not allowed to keep the critter in his working space after taking up new post.

Defence secretary Gavin Williamson’s pet tarantula­ will soon be legging­ it out of his office.

The newly-appointed Cabinet minister is said to be reluctantly taking Cronus home after former Labour defence minister Kevan Jones put the wind up the MoD by asking what their pet policy was.

Mr Williamson kept two year old Cronus on his Commons desk when he was Chief Whip to terrify MPs into toeing the party line.

And when he was promoted to run the MoD after Sir Michael Fallon quit the eight legged creature went with him.

Mr Williamson was promoted to run the MoD when Sir Michael Fallon quit - and the eight legged creature went with him to his new office

The MoD played for time with a holding answer.

Mr Jones said: “It’s bizarre the MoD needs more time to answer a simple question.

“They must be trying to think of a way to justify a tarantula.

“Perhaps they could say it’s to scare Chancellor Philip Hammond into not making any more cuts to the armed forces.”

New Chief Whip Julian Smith shared a picture of Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson's tarantula 

But Mr Williamson - nicknamed Private Pike from Dads’ Army because he looks so boyish - realised Cronus’s office days were numbered.

And finally last week he told Mr Jones: “Civil Servants and members of the Armed Forces are not permitted to bring domestic pets into Ministry of Defence Main Building.

“The only exception to this policy are dogs which work to assist individuals who have disabilities such as visual impairment or deafness, or an animal that is necessary for the security of the building such as a police sniffer dog.”

Former Labour defence minister Kevan Jones asked the MoD what their pet policy was - putting an end to Cronus's term in the building

That meant Cronus - named after a Greek God who castrated his father before eating his children - had to go. The Defence Secretary will be distraught. He has previously said: “I’ve had Cronus since he was a spider-ling, so I have a very paternal approach.”

Cronus is now reportedly being taken to the Defence Secretary’s Staffordshire home for Christmas.

Mr Williamson did not wish to comment.

Source: www.mirror.co.uk