PART of a Glasgow museum has been invaded by thousands of wasps.

They have stung staff and the top floor of the People's Palace on Glasgow Green had to be closed.

They were discovered on October 16 and since then staff estimate they have swept up 500 dead wasps.

A spokesman for Culture and Sport Glasgow, which runs the museum, said: ""We have had experts in to have a look and they expect the cold weather will kill them off in the not too distant future. Every couple of days they have another check."

Geoffrey Hancock, curator of entomology at the University of Glasgow Hunterian Museum, said wasps can be more likely to sting at this time of year and the authorities are right to treat them with caution.

Mr Hancock said: "The nest will have been there for some time, they take months to build.

"Perhaps it is only now they are becoming apparent because at this time of year nests tend to die off, leaving only the queen to go into hibernation.

"At the end of the season the social cohesion of the colony breaks down. That is why you have punch drunk wasps making a nuisance of themselves, trying to eat your picnic.

"They are particularly confused at this time of year.

If they feel up to it they may be more likely to sting people on a random basis, but only if they perceive themselves to be threatened.

"I am surprised the nest is still active as we are going into November. Maybe the heating in the building is keeping them buzzing.

"If they are encroaching into a public space then perhaps it is perceived to be a risk to the public."

He said wasps were only dangerous if people got too close to their nest.

"They are very territorial.

If you disturb the nest they come out and defend it. If you are 20ft away they will ignore you. It is only if you threaten them they defend themselves.

" Normally you get nests in houses and people do not even know they are there. "

The top floor of the museum, which contains comedian Billy Connolly's famous banana boots and exhibits on work and housing, was closed for a week but has now reopened.

The rest of the museum, including the first floor exhibition on Glasgow through the ages, remained open.