Calstock residents have been taking measures into their own hands in the battle with the flies currently plaguing the village.

Some are circulating mosquito repellent bracelets, many are avoiding walks by the river, but even a quiet pint at the pub is leaving some locals with multiple bites.

One local resident won’t even leave her house without being covered from head to toe but was still bitten 21 times on her legs through her clothes.

Clare Winter, who lives on Church Street, said: “Last year I was literally bitten from head to toe. They blistered so badly and were extremely painful.

“I now don't leave the house unless I'm covered from head to toe. I even wear a hat with a net to cover my face when weeding and tending to the plants outside my house.

“I now feel this will limit my ability to go outside my house and into the village drastically.”

Clare had to see an acute care nurse at Callington Health Centre for the most recent bites. She added: “I ended up on a course of antibiotics and using antibiotic cream. The one blister had to be lanced because it just kept getting bigger. The insects I saw were small black flies.”

Another resident describes being “eaten alive” by flies which have returned this year.

A newly formed private Facebook group called ITCH, Insects Take Calstock Hostage, currently has 130 members. Admin Keith Ingram said: “The biting insect problem around Calstock has got out of hand and people were suffering in silence.

“The group gives residents a place to share experiences, pool knowledge, and push for action. It’s about turning frustration into something constructive and making sure we’re properly heard.”

In the recent Calstock Environment and Climate Emergency Committee meeting, parish councillors discussed next steps for the village under attack.

Community attendee Gill Court submitted a report to the committee and told councillors: “It’s a big issue and a big problem in Calstock. It’s mushrooming and not waning in any shape or form.”

She believes a robust study is needed that carries weight. She added: “Whatever the course, the effect, we have to take note. It’s the Environment Agency’s responsibility, and it’s our responsibility to take it seriously.”

Richard Newton Chance, councillor for Chilsworthy Ward, chaired the meeting and urged the identification of the insects. The parish council is asking residents to catch as many samples of the fly as possible suggesting the use of “pooters” which enable the insect to be sucked into a vessel for viewing.

Calstock Parish Council are still awaiting an official response from the Environment Agency, and a link to the wetlands has not been ruled out.

Chair of Tamar Community Trust Michael Francis, which leases the wetlands from the Tamar Valley National Landscape, said: “Tamar Community Trust fully support the parish council environment committee in their enquiries regarding the unfortunate epidemic of biting flies in Calstock.

“We understand that they are already in touch with the Environment Agency, who we believe are responsible for such community issues.”