Stanley Chapman was stung more than 400 times

An elderly Shropshire couple are in hospital after being attacked by a swarm of bees.

Stanley and Rose Chapman, both 88, were stung hundreds of times after accidentally disturbing the swarm in their garden in Cound, near Shrewsbury, on Monday evening.

Paramedics were also stung when the bees surrounded their ambulance.

Mr Chapman was the first to be attacked and was stung 400 times.

As his wife tried to help, the bees attacked her.

The couple are still being treated at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The bees started to swarm after Mr Chapman inadvertently knocked down a hive with an estimated 3,000 bees.

They were being attacked by a swarm of bees - there was just a dark cloud around them Paramedic Ian Mills

Paramedic Ian Mellis, who helped the Chapmans, said he had never seen anything like it.

"When I saw the elderly couple they were being attacked by a swarm of bees.

"There was just a dark cloud around them.

"I've never seen anything like it before. It was a case of getting the people away from the bees rather than the other way around."

He added: "I got my jacket and put it over my head and put on an extra pair of gloves and zipped my overalls right up to the top.

"It was a case of dragging them unceremoniously into the house."