A primary school told hundreds of pupils not to come in after discovering a wasp infestation.

Chantry Community Primary School in Barrack Road, Bexhill, closed on Friday after a wasps nest was found near the boiler room at 7am.

The school said it decided to close as a “precautionary measure” to protect its 220 pupils.

A pest control officer was brought in and the nest was removed by lunchtime.

An East Sussex County Council spokeswoman said staff at the school dealt with the incident.

Professor Francis Ratnieks, the country’s only professor of apiculture, said he doubted it was necessary to close the school.

He said wasps did not pose a significant danger to people unless they were allergic to stings.

He said: “The nest would have been there for six months. It would have been founded in spring. I would be somewhat surprised if there was a necessity to close the school down. It would have been quite enough to have kept children away and have the pest controllers come back at the weekend.

“If the nest had been left it would have died naturally, probably by the end of November.

“People have got to take a more reasonable approach to this.”

He added it was likely to be a common or German wasp colony, which can include several thousand workers.

He said the colonies would be close to the maximum population at this time of year.

A council spokeswoman said: “The nest wasn’t near the children’s area but when the door was opened some wasps flew into the main area of the school.

“A pest control company was called and the wasps and the nest were removed. The school was closed as a precautionary measure.”

The school will reopen on Monday.

The number of wasp colonies in Sussex varies hugely year by year.

Pest controllers Rentokil said there was a 230% rise in residential wasp calls in the five weeks to the middle of July.