But, instead, he decided to try a "desensitisation" programme at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital, one of only a handful of centres in the country that offers the treatment.

Now, just weeks later, he is already back and tending to his hives without the fear of another life-threatening reaction.

Mr Lynch, from Bonsall, near Matlock in Derbyshire, said he had been stung a few times but the turning point came last year.

He said: "I've been keeping bees for 30 to 40 years and, whenever I got stung I would get a swelling, but I never thought too much about it.

"About five years ago I got six stings to the head and, afterwards, when I was walking up the hill from my hives, I felt hot and itchy and thought I might pass out. When I laid down and put my feet up it subsided.

"Then, two years ago, I had a situation where some quite aggressive bees got into my veil. Again, I felt unwell, hot and itchy but it subsided.

"What triggered this was last year when I got a new bee suit. The veil was touching my chin and a bee stung me through the veil. Within 15 seconds or so I had a reaction.

"I thought I was going to keel over so I hung onto a tree. I did collapse but I didn't fall unconscious. I laid there for a little while and then managed to walk to my car, where I put the seats down and laid back for another 10 or 15 minutes.

"When I felt well enough I drove to a pharmacy and got some anti-histamines, and then decided to go to the doctor."

Mr Lynch was then referred to the clinical immunology and allergy unit at the Northern General Hospital, led by Dr William Egner and Dr Anna Shrimpton.

He was tested for allergies and was unsurprised to find that the results came up showing he was allergic to honey bee stings.

The doctors then started him on a three-year desensitisation programme, using bee venom to desensitise his immune system against the allergy.

Fran Ashworth, senior clinical immunology and allergy nurse specialist at the Northern General, said: "Michael has been given incremental doses of bee venom over a period of 12 weeks until he reached a maintenance dose.

"He will continue to attend the unit every six weeks to receive a maintenance dose for the next three years. The aim of this treatment is to re-educate the immune system. Michael is still in the early stages of the treatment, but the signs are good for him to succeed in fighting against the allergy."

Mr Lynch said that at first he wondered about going through with the programme, because he had to commit to go to the hospital regularly over a number of weeks, but then decided he would after reading a newspaper story about someone who died from a bee sting allergy.

He said: "I thought, I'm 64, I may only be able to do this for another 15 years anyway, but I do enjoy it and decided the programme was worth the time and effort.

"The Northern General have been tremendous; the doctors and nursing staff are superb.

"The doctors at the unit explained how exposing my immune system to small doses of the sting will act in the same way as a vaccination.

"By the twelfth week I had the equivalent of two bee stings and had no reaction, so it looks like it's worked.

"Before, my partner would come with me to the hives to do the handling as I was a little bit wary, but now I'm quite relaxed about everything.

"It's reassuring that it's worked.

"I'd definitely encourage the treatment to others. It can make a huge difference to your life – especially if you're a beekeeper."