Like a scene from a horror film, hundreds of flies swarmed round a 24-hour supermarket, forcing customers to flee the store.
But this was no film it happened at the Tesco store in Fullbridge, Maldon.
A spokeswoman for Tesco said the store was evacuated and closed from midnight until dawn due to swarms of flies from the marshland by the river Blackwater heading for the bright lights of the supermarket.
Staff took the decision to evacuate all customers, close the store and call in pest control.
The spokeswoman added: "The windows have all been sprayed now, so in the unlikely event it happens again, the bugs should be repelled and won't come in."
Published Monday June 14, 2004
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