WHAT would you do if you were under siege by hundreds of flying terrors?

Hollywood spent 12 million dollars making a movie about them, cartoon characters leap headfirst into lakes to escape them, and back in 1993 1000 striped terrors ‘bee-sieged’ a Barrow woman and her two-year-old daughter in their home.

But the buzzing bees in St Matthew’s Mews were probably just about to enjoy an afternoon siesta after stuffing themselves with honey, a bee expert told The Mail in June 1993.

Chris Crowder was, at the time, head gardener at Levens Hall.

He kept bees for around four years and said the swarm which gave Jenny Grove and little Keeley the shivers were in reality about as vicious as a gang of field mice.

Mr Crowder said: “Their way of increasing their kind is for half of the nest to fly away and look for somewhere else to set up home. They are the most pleasant bees you will ever come across because before you leave to look for a new home they home.” So what should you do if you’re confronted by the little varmints?

Mr Crowder’s advice was: “If there is a large swarm of bees around you, whatever you do don’t panic. If you don’t like the things remember bees don’t like dark shady places so go somewhere out of their way like a hole in a hedge.”