WORSHIPPERS were turned away from their church - after a plague of bees invaded the building.It may not have been an invasion of Biblical proportions, but church leaders feared the bees, unsettled by the stormy weather, could have stung people and would have provided a distraction during the service.

WORSHIPPERS were turned away from their church - after a plague of bees invaded the building.

It may not have been an invasion of Biblical proportions, but church leaders feared the bees, unsettled by the stormy weather, could have stung people and would have provided a distraction during the service.

Morning mass had to be cancelled at St Cecilia's in Trimley St Mary, and an alternative service hurriedly organised at St Felix in Felixstowe instead.

Parish communications officer Mark Jones said the bee infestation was in the roof space of the church in High Road.

“They were first noticed on Saturday afternoon and it was decided that we should cancel the Sunday morning mass - it had to be safety first and it was the correct decision,” he said.

“We put a notice on the door and on our web site. We are a close-knit community and the message also spread quickly by word of mouth.

“We were able to hold a second mass at St Felix in the morning and set up lifts to get people from Trimley into Felixstowe and home again.”

Mr Jones said it was not known how long the bees had been nesting at the Roman Catholic church, but it was felt the changeable weather - particularly the stormy conditions over the weekend - may have made them more active.

“Even if they didn't sting, they would be quite a distraction for people attending mass,” he added.

It was planned to deal with the infestation in a humane way this week.

As well as the church goers, Trimley St Mary Parish Council was also driven away by the bees and had to find an alternative venue.

The council was due to meet at the church room last night, but found a notice on the door saying it was out of use.

They met instead at the Welcome Hall committee room.

“We left our chairman Richard Kerry at the church for a while to redirect any late comers, but hopefully we didn't miss anyone who wanted to attend our meeting,” said parish clerk Debra Cooper.

WEBLINKS: www.trimley-st-mary.org.uk

www.saintfelix.co.uk

Have you been caused unusual problems by insect infestations or wildlife? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk