RESIDENTS are angry with environmental health officials after they failed to respond to an appeal to deal with a large swarm of bees in a Darlington street yesterday.

The swarm was buzzing around Witton Crescent, in Darlington, yesterday and concerned families telephoned Darlington Borough Council in the hope environmental health officers could deal with the problem.

People said they were concerned about letting their children outside in case they were stung by the swarm, which was at first believed to be wasps.

But when they contacted the council, environmental health officers said they could not attend to the problem until today.

One of the residents, Elizabeth Pounder, said: "I phoned them and they said the officers had gone out for the day and they could not get out for a further 24 hours.

"But the bees were swarming around where the children walk to school and everyone was worried about it."

Her neighbour, mother-of-two Jayne Carbert, said: "The nest is in a vent in the side of my house and it has been a problem in the past.

"I am a council tenant and I hoped the environmental health officers at the council would be able to deal with it.

"But they said they could not and I would have to phone around some beekeepers to sort it out.

"A beekeeper did come out and said that the nest could not be removed without having to knock part of the building down, and that some of the bees could be getting into my attic.

"But I think the council should come out and get rid of the nest. I am worried about my children. You don't know if they are allergic to bees until they are stung and you worry about their safety."

A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council said: "We have been notified of it, but all the pest control people leave early in the morning to go on their rounds. It will be dealt with within one working day, as is the normal procedure.

"However, if the swarm are bees and not wasps, they are protected and we have to get a bee keeper to deal with the problem.

"I believe in this case, the Neighbourhood Housing office offered some advice to the residents and tried to help.

"Our advice is to steer clear of swarms and they should leave you alone - until we can get an expert to deal with it."