Furious residents ‘trapped in their homes’ thanks to neighbour’s beehives

NEIGHBOURS claim they are prisoners in their homes because a nearby landlord has swarms of bees in his garden.

Residents of the quiet street say they are even too scared to open windows.

A pensioner, who did not want to be named, said: “The last time I sat out in my garden was during Covid because there’s always a risk of being stung.

“It’s not that we don’t like bees. It’s just the huge numbers living in a small garden area and us being in the flight path.”

Another neighbour in Warndon, Worcs, said huge swarms meant it was like “living in a horror film” while a third complained the bees had nested in a chimney.

Tradespeople are said to shun the area after some were stung.

There were claims of up to a million bees being in the garden of the house rented out by architect Nick Tweddle, 64.

But he insisted: “I currently have eight hives with about 20,000 bees in each. That’s 160,000 — and they’re very gentle.

“My tenants happily sit outside on the terrace watching them.”

Nick, who lives in Hereford where he has other hives, added: “No one is trapped.

“I have spoken to some residents and even given them jars of honey.”

There is no law about how many hives can be kept in a garden, even in a heavily residential area.

But the local council said the situation was being assessed by Worcestershire’s Regulatory Services.