FIREFIGHTERS got more than they bargained for when they disturbed a wasps' nest as they dealt with a tree fire - with three of the crew ended up getting badly stung - and anglers thought to be to blame.

Two willow trees were alight when the Evesham firefighters arrived at Fladbury Mill on Tuesday evening.

Sub Officer Julian Jenkins said: "When we started putting the fire out we managed to disturb a wasps' nest and three officers getting stung quite badly.

"One guy got stung on the lip, another on the eye and shoulder and the other on the neck."

He added that all three were "fine, but a bit sore".

The incident, at around 7.30pm on Tuesday, was the second similar one they attended on the day, having already had to extinguish another willow tree fire in the same area, beside the river Avon, at 4.30pm in the afternoon.

The firefighters' theory about the spate of tree blazes was that anglers might have been trying to smoke out the wasps, to get at their grubs, which they could use at bait.

The advice to anglers contemplating such actions was "don't". Sub Officer Jenkins said: "Setting fire to anything deliberately is going to cause us problems. Don't do it. "