‘Killer hornets’ could be on their way to South Yorkshire and Derbyshire

The two-inch-long Asian hornets are capable of destroying entire bee colonies by ransacking their hives.

The hornets are thought to have made their way to France in plant pots in 2004, with six victims in France dying from anaphylactic shock after being stung.

It is thought that one Asian hornet can destroy a hive of 30,000 bees in just a couple of hours.

Maurice Jordan, secretary of the Notts Beekeepers’ Association, said he had been warned that the hornets were ‘dangerous and could be a ‘very big problem.’