Lynda Thornton wrote:
:: Hi
::
:: We have just moved to near the Welsh border in Shropshire - and on
:: moving day and since then we have seen some very scary large flying
:: insects which I can't identify. They look almost like a cross
:: between a fly and a bee and are mainly dark brown with paler brown
:: stripes. They have the triangular fly-wing shape but with a
:: pointed end like a stinger, but their heads look like flies. They
:: don't seem to buzz either, they must be well over an inch long, in
:: fact probably 1.5 minimum and they are large and chunky and very
:: intimidating! I've seen a couple dead on the pavements in town
:: too - I've never seen these before and haven't been able to find
:: them on the web - has anybody here seen them and know what they
:: are?

Honey bees? - honey bees don't look like bumblebees, here are two pictures:

bumblebee:
http://www.colby.edu/MES/gifs/Bumblebee.jpg

honeybee:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/200...oney%20bee.jpg

both can sting but are not as agrssive as wasps IME.