DON'T be too surprised if you see a few bees in the skies this weekend - there's a swarm of 30,000 on the loose in Worcestershire.

A beekeeper was stunned to discover his honey bees had buzzed off. The Pershore man, who does not wish to be named, has no idea where they have gone.

But a bee expert said swarms normally did not travel more than two miles. After hearing a loud humming noise coming from his garden on Thursday afternoon, he found them making their escape.

"It was like in the films, they just filled the air," he said.

The 49-year-old understood people might be alarmed but said the bees would not harm people unless they were provoked.

"If someone found thousands of bees clinging to a tree in their garden they might panic, but they should just leave them alone and phone the police so we can come and take them away," he said.

The man was given the bees by a fellow enthusiast about a year ago after completing a 10-week course in bee-keeping.

They were kept in his garden off Station Road in Pershore, where there is also a second hive.

A witness spoke of her shock when the swarm made an appearance outside her window at Wychavon District Council.

Communications officer Anne-Marie Darroch said: "The air looked thick with what looked like blossom. I was a bit panicked as at first I didn't know what it was."

After 10 minutes she was relieved to find the swarm had moved on.

It is unclear why they have decided to leave for pastures new, but the beekeeper suspected that a new queen was being produced, causing the existing one to up sticks and leave, taking her loyal worker bees with her.

If the swarm is not retrieved he could be stung with a £100 bill to replace them.

"Unless the new queen hatches out, the bees that are left will die," he said.

They could be anywhere, but are prone to setting up home in trees, old chimneys and barns.

Anyone with any information can contact the police on 08457 444 888, quoting 311S/210405.

Martin Blakeman, secretary of the Evesham branch of the Worcestershire Beekeepers Association, said people should not panic if they come across the bees.

"When they are in a swarm they are usually quite docile for the first couple of days because they fill themselves with honey to make a store before leaving," explained Mr Blakeman, a beekeeper for 35 years.

"If then they don't find a home after a couple of days and become hungry they can get a bit nasty but they won't attack people. What people don't want to start doing is throwing stones at them or being a nuisance."