Bank alarm set off by a swarm of angry wasps

A SCOTTISH bank has fallen victim to a sting operation – after trying to kill a nest of wasps.

The Clydesdale in Haddington, East Lothian, called in pest control experts earlier this week to fumigate a wasps’ nest in its roof.

The dying insects managed to set off an alarm later that night.

And when a security guard went to investigate the racket, he got the fright of his life on discovering the angry swarm.

Bank staff had left a note on the front door to warn their evening cleaner not to enter the premises.

The note advised that the wasps were “dying and very angry”.

But the security guard missed the message on Tuesday night and was left visibly shaken by the encounter with over a hundred angry wasps.

Staff at the bank were forced to shut their doors 20 minutes early to customers at 3.40pm on Tuesday.

Branch manager Elgin Millar said: “We have had wasps on and off for the last few weeks.

“I think the guy finished the fumigation at about 3pm and gave us the warning, be aware they might come in.

“By about 3.20pm we had a dozen flying about the branch, and by the time we left just after 4pm, about three dozen.

“The security guard came in later at night wearing a hi-visibility jacket so that didn’t help I think.

When the manager arrived at work on Wednesday at 8am, he had to sweep “hundreds of dead wasps” off the floor.

 “This morning theres been the odd one or two flying about but nowhere near the number we had and there’s no plans at all to shut his morning,” he added.

“The team have been warning customers about the wasps flying about, but we should be all clear when the Rentokil chap comes back.

“Thankfully we have had no one stung.”

In August this year a terrified couple fled in terror when they and their dog were attacked by a swarm of wasps in Tentsmuir Forest in Fife.

Susan Bruce’s seven-year-old cocker spaniel Betty suffered an anaphylactic shock from over 130 painful stings.

Only minutes from death, she was rushed to a vet’s in St Andrews where she was treated with steroids and spent the night under observation.