It could be first strike to the returning wood wasps, after a section of the Market House had to be fenced off due to falling masonry.

If the problem is down to the insect pests, it could prove costly and difficult for the building’s owners, Ledbury Town Council.

This is because the council’s reserves were drained recently, to the tune of £220,000, after the council lost a controversial judicial review.

And the last time the wood wasps caused significant problems for Ledbury’s iconic building, back in 2006, the bill was eye-watering £200,000.

In 2006, the Market House was lifted with hydraulic jacks, while measurements were taken with lazer beams. This process allowed restorers to remove rotten wood at the base of the pillars, where the wasps were nesting, and to then fill the holes with special grout.

The town council recently called in experts who identified a wood wasp infestation at both the half-timbered town council offices and at the Market House itself, which is Grade 1 listed and dates back to 1617.

But the town council says it is too early to blame wood wasps for the falling masonry, which has left a section of ‘wattle and daub’ exposed.

Town clerk, Angela Price said, when asked if wood wasps were the culprits: "I am still investigating this and therefore unable to answers your questions at the moment.

"The only thing I can say for sure at the moment is that we need to have this repaired as a matter of urgency due to the need to ensure the work is carried out before winter, due to the materials that will be used to make those repairs."

No information was given as to how much the repairs might cost.

The recent report into the infestation, carried out for the town council, said that wood wasps would only make nests in wood that was already rotting.

This means the insects reveal where wood is decayed, but do not cause the decay themselves.

But an online article by Timberwise claims that wood wasp larvae have jaws "strong enough to gnaw their way through the solid wood" and the article adds: "Although similar to a caterpillar, a wood wasp will not hesitate, when necessary, to make its way even through soft metal."

Wood wasps are most visible from around May to October.