Bees swarm outside Hastings gym

In the space of 10 minutes, 8000 bees swarmed outside Snap Fitness Gym in Hastings yesterday afternoon.

Bee keeper, Kevin Tinker, was called to St Aubyn Street East around 3pm when members of the gym looked outside and noticed thousands of bees swarm outside the window.

Snap Fitness Gym manager, Elisa Morrison, said: "At the start there was 1000 but literally just 10 minutes later there was around 8000. Members of our gym could not leave and if people came in they had to go through the back door. Some were actually freaking out."

She said she had never seen something like that before, especially not an influx like what she witnessed today.

"The beekeeper had to go away and get another box as there was so many, but luckily the bees all seemed to gravitate towards the fence so the worst of it appears over."

She said Mr Tinker thought a hive had been knocked down so the reason they swarmed on the street was because they were looking for another home.

"He told us not to aggravate the bees in the mean time while he went to get the other box as otherwise they would start stinging."

She said the bees seemed pretty contained now they were on the fence and members were able to get in to the gym safely through the back door.

"It was just really bizarre. I have never ever seen something like that before, it was very strange."