Fears are growing that an invasion of Asian hornets

The Asian hornet has established itself in France and there are now fears that it could come to England and decimate the bee population in the country.

But their first stop could be Hampshire – and already beekeepers in the county have been on a state of red alert and have prepared traps for any Asian hornet invasion.

Known as Vespa Velutina Nigrithorax the two-inch long hornets are believed to have arrived in Europe on container ships from China in 2004.

It is now feared the insects may be on their way across the Channel and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is urging people to report any sightings.

The creatures prey on honey bees and also possess a painful sting – which can cause potentially deadly allergic reactions in humans.

According to Defra there have not been any sightings of the creature in the UK so far but beekeepers in Hampshire have spent more than a year gearing up for a potential invasion.

Membership secretary and treasurer of the Romsey Beekeeping Association Mandy Ord said: “We just hope they do not come over.

"It is hard to say how true other reports are and they are certainly established in certain areas of France and they have had problems with them. I do think it is only a matter of time before they are here.”

“We have had a monitoring programme in place for 18 months since last spring. We were hanging traps and holders especially designed for the Asian hornet and we are as well prepared as we can be for the Asian hornet.

“They are very vicious and if there is a nest nearby or know of any we are going to destroy them at source.”

A statement from the British Beekeeping Association said: “Although it is not yet present in the UK it is considered likely to arrive soon.

“The places it is most likely to be found are in southern parts of England (it may be able to cross the Channel from France) or goods among which it could be accidentally imported.”