It sounds rather like the Bee Beetle. For the first time ever we have seen them in our own garden, seven at most. I understand that they are rare but not that rare.Moongrower posted a picture of ours on 16 June and this attracted a lot of useful comments.

Hi Guest take a look at my photo of the bee beetle http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/155079

Sounds like this could be what you have

Thanks Bulbaholic and Moon Grower. However I have looked at the photo and it is not a Bee Beetle. It is darker orange and has a longer back end part to it's body that sort of hangs down as it is flying. It must be an inch long as I can see it flying when I am in the house. I've tried looking on the net but as yet can't see anything like it.

Could be a Hornet? the King of the Wasps and muncher of countless thousands of Aphids. The hanging-down abdomen together with the stye of nest-building from wood pulp suggest a member of the Wasp family. The black-tipped abdomen, though, sounds more like an Asian Hornet, which is an invading species.

Thanks Ilex. Don't know if it has black tip to abdomen. I thought hornets had a smooth body where this looks hairy/furry.

The European Hornet is smooth, the Asiatic is somewhat hairy - there are a number of wasps and quite a few nest-building solitary bees that might fit your description though....

Here's some more detail about the latter:

http://www.insectpix.net/solitary_bees_gallery.htm