A SCHOOL'S sports day was rescued after a swarm of bees threatened to put the event in jeopardy.

Beekeeper Roger Chappel was called to Darlington's Hummersknott School after a large swarm of honey bees settled in a tree on the edge of the grounds.

Teachers were concerned about the safety of pupils as they prepared for the annual sports day on the school field.

Mr Chappel, of Brafferton, near Darlington, advised the school to cordon off the area and warned pupils to avoid the bees.

Mr Chappel, chairman of the Cleveland Beekeepers' Association, said: "Swarms are relatively benign and the bees are rarely aggressive because they have no hive to protect.

"For a variety of different reasons, bees swarm when the queen leaves the hive, and often half the bees in the hive will follow her.

"They then cluster in a rugby ball shape on a nearby tree while a permanent home is found. May and June are the worst months."

The event, on Tuesday afternoon, went ahead as planned.