Young Wesley Glover got more than a flea in his ear after playing hide and seek.

He picked up a millennium bug. Or at least, that's how Southend Hospital staff jokingly described the remains of the creature they extracted.

The drama began when Wesley, nine, of Canvey, played outside with friends on Christmas Eve.

His mum, Nicola Stevens said: "He was in this game where half of them go and hide and the rest have to find them.

"Wesley had the bright idea of hiding in a bush. He came running out saying there was something in his ear, he could feel it buzzing round.

"We put loads of water in there, but after about two hours he said he couldn't feel it any more, and he thought it must have gone.

"My other son, Jimmy, got a pen torch for Christmas, so a few days later I used it to have a look in Wesley's ear and I could see this bit of a wing sticking up."

On medical advice, the family took Wesley to Southend Hospital, where the obstinate insect was finally retrieved using a local anaesthetic and a special hoovering device.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.