Residents being bugged by biting insect swarms in Lincolnshire village

Karen Bates-Senior's leg

Swarms of insects are said to be plaguing residents in a Lincolnshire village.

As well as bites, people in North Somercotes, south of Cleethorpes, have complained of a constant buzzing.

Winifred Baines explained she now only leaves her house to "quickly get into the car", with her garden off-limits.

Some are blaming mosquitoes but one expert said gnats - thriving in warm, damp weather - were the more likely culprits.

Jane Dewey and her mother Winifred Baines say they are being plagued by the insects

Showing BBC Look North several bites on her shoulder, Mrs Baines said: "I love gardening [but] I'm only stepping out of the door to get quickly into the car."

Her daughter Jane Dewey agreed it was a problem, adding she now has to put on long trousers and a jacket just to hang washing out.

Ms Dewey said: "From what people have said, it's never been this bad before. You can't walk to the shop or anything without getting bitten."

She has even fitted nets to her windows in a bid to get some respite, although some insects have still found a way indoors.

Ms Dewey said: "When you're watching telly, they attack you."

Another resident, Karen Bates-Senior, said her garden had also become "a no-go area".

Sharing a photograph, taken last week, of her leg covered in bites, she said: "Luckily with antihistamine and bite relief they're going down.

"I now spray myself before going out and wear jeans, boots, long sleeve shirts etc."

Another resident Catherine Gilpin says she feels like a 'dot to dot activity'

Expert Dr George McGavin said insects favour wet, mild weather.

He also suggested flying insects were thriving as a result of more people installing water butts in their gardens and not sealing them.

After being shown images of a swarm of insects, Dr McGavin said he thought they were most likely to be gnats but added there was "no reason why you couldn't see the odd mosquito" given the ideal conditions.