Reassurance over fears of killer hornet in Hastings

Richard Vallery, of Ashburnham Road, told the Observer he spotted the wasp on Monday (May 25) at his house.

He said: “These nasty creatures not only destroy bee colonies which are vital to our countryside, but their venom can dissolve human flesh and bone, and in some cases, kill.

“Six people died from the sting venom in France last year.

“The warm weather may bring more across the Channel as they can fly more than 40 miles a day.

“They look like an ordinary wasp but can be up to three inches long.

“Their sting is extremely painful and can induce anaphylactic shock or even kill a small child.”

However, Dr Matthew Davies, divisional technical advisor for Killgerm, a pest control company, said this was a case of a false alarm as Mr Vallery had, in fact, found a European hornet.

The main difference between a European hornet and Asian hornet is the latter is slightly smaller.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.hastingsobserver.co.uk

2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hastingsobserver

3 Follow us on Twitter @HastingsObs

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Hastings Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.