AT LEAST six people have been killed by deadly hornets in France and experts fear they may soon target our county.

A crisis meeting is being held in Norfolk next month to determine how to deal with the winged threats.

Attracted by the springtime heatwave, the huge Asian hornets are twice the size of English hornets and pack a terrible sting.

One victim was a 54-year-old man who died after he disturbed a nest and was attacked by a swarm in the Loire Valley.

The beasts, which in inject a toxic sting made up of eight chemicals that cause an allergic shock in humans, have also been found in Portugal and Spain.

Headed by the National Bee Unit, the seminar at Easton and Otley College on May 23 will discuss how British beekeepers can keep the Asian hornets at bay.

Speaking to the Mirror, Carolyne Liston, chairwoman of the Norfolk Beekeepers' Association, said: "They are a very, very aggressive predator.

"We are concerned they are going to come into Britain on someone's caravan who has been travelling in France."