An invasion of biting horse flies are sweeping the country due to the warming weather, wildlife experts have warned.

Reports of painful bites across the country have surged, with the size of the insect population in Britain being compared to those in Mediterranean countries.

The blood-sucking insects, which thrive under the summer conditions, have even led to people being admitted to hospital to be seen for their bites.

After being plagued by so many biting horse flies, one chemist in Ilfracombe, Devon, has ran out of insect cream to treat those affected.

One Devon local said: “My partner was bitten last Monday on Hele Beach. He ended up in A&E overnight Tuesday on an antibiotic drip. “So please keep a close eye on the bite and make sure the redness doesn’t start spreading. He was the third person in that night.”