A SWARM of about 20,000 bees took up residence in a garden in Evesham Street last week - to the horror of the owners.

Local bee expert Elizabeth Davey was called in to help and on Wednesday, she successfully removed them from the tree into a skep, which is a type of basket.

But when she returned later in the day to take them home, they had flown off.

Mrs Davey, who has been a beekeeper for more than 20 years, explained: "Bees swarm because there isn't enough space in the hive. "They make another queen and the older queen leaves with half of the bees, who will travel up to two miles to find a new home.

"When I go along, I shake them into the skep and leave it on the ground face down so they can get in and out. Then I go back in the evening, cover the box with a sheet and take the bees to a hive. If anyone wants them, they can and I don't usually have any trouble finding a home for them.

"I was going to put these in a hive with another group which has a weak queen but when I went back, I found they had disappeared."

If residents discover a swarm of bees in their garden, there is no need to panic, said Mrs Davey.

"You should walk gently and quietly and don't flap your arms around. It's quite scary, especially if you see them coming towards you as a big black cloud.

"But you are not likely to get stung. Bees are always good tempered when in a swarm as they have filled themselves with honey to prepare for making wax."

Police have a list of beekeepers who will be able to remove bees.