Pensioner Cynthia Brookes had a shock when she went to get her Christmas decorations out – she came face to face with a giant wasps nest.

At 3ft wide, the nest hangs over the hatch of the loft above her garage. It has been home to thousands of wasps over the summer.

The first she knew of it was when 26-year-old grandson Adam, who works for West Bromwich Albion, helped her to venture into the loft to fetch the decorations and emerged from the loft covered in a brown goo.

Read the full story in the Express & Star.

Pensioner Cynthia Brookes had a shock when she went to get her Christmas decorations out – she came face to face with a giant wasps nest.

At 3ft wide, the nest hangs over the hatch of the loft above her garage. It has been home to thousands of wasps over the summer.

The first she knew of it was when 26-year-old grandson Adam, who works for West Bromwich Albion, helped her to venture into the loft to fetch the decorations and emerged from the loft covered in a brown goo.

The nest, which is hanging from the roof, could have been there for almost a year as 76-year-old Mrs Brookes has not opened her loft since she put her baubles and tinsel away in January.

Pest control officers at South Staffordshire District Council are now examining photographs of the nest.

Mrs Brookes, of Repton Avenue, Perton, said: “My grandson came round to help me get the decorations out. He went up there in his suit because he’d just come from work and came down covered in brown gunge.

I normally take a hammock from the loft in the summer to hang in the garden but because the weather has been so bad I didn’t bother. I haven’t opened the loft since I put the decorations away.”

But despite the discovery, Mrs Brookes said she is not letting it bother her.

She said: “It actually looks quite beautiful. I’ve kept the loft open for a day since and there hasn’t been any sign of any wasps.

“I’ve had wasps nests before so it’s not something that I’m worried about it.”