RESIDENTS in Wiltshire are being warned to be on the lookout for Asian hornets after a Chippenham man claims to have seen one in his garden.

Charlie Fry, of Boundary Close, claims to have seen a hornet killing bees in his garden over the past three weeks.

The 73-year-old said: “I’m a country boy but I’ve never seen anything like before and it wasn’t until I have seen it on the news and confirmed it that I knew what it was.

The only official sighting of an Asian hornet came in Tetbury earlier this week, where official warnings have been released from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to stay vigilant in case of a hornet nest being found in the county.

Work is already underway to destroy and remove nests from Tetbury, with a three mile surveillance zone being set up and a local control centre being opened.

Nicola Spence, Defra deputy director for Plant and Bee Health, said: “We have been anticipating the arrival of the Asian hornet for some years and have a well-established protocol in place to eradicate them and control any potential spread.

“It is important to remember they pose no greater risk to human health than a bee, though we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies.

“That’s why we are taking swift and robust action to identify and destroy any nests.”

The Asian hornet is described to be smaller than native hornets in the country and pose no great risk to humans, but do threaten the honey bee population.

The first case of Asian hornets in Europe was recorded in France over 12 years ago and has since spread to other parts of the continent.

Anyone who thinks they have seen an Asian hornet should visit http://www.nonnativespecies.org/alerts/index.cfm?id=4