Swarm of bees lands on parked car

The bees landed on the rear of a Mini Cooper

A passer-by was left buzzing at the "special" sight of a swarm of bees on a parked car.

The motorist spotted the insects as he drove through Brompton Street in Middlesbrough on Tuesday afternoon.

He noticed the street was full of bees before coming across the swarm, which had landed on the rear of a Mini Cooper.

He said: "I just had to pull over and take a photo as I thought it was unBEElievable."

The driver stopped so he could get a better look but decided to leave his window up for fear of being stung.

Honey bees are the only type of bee to swarm

"It’s not something you see every day. It such a phenomenon," he said.

"You used to get all the bugs on your windscreen but not so much these days.

"So when you see something like that it’s quite special."

Honey bees are the only type that swarms and do so as part of their reproductive cycle.

The colony naturally divides in two and the half containing the old queen leaves the hive to form a cluster somewhere else, according to Stockton beekeeper Steve Jacklin.

Mr Jacklin, who runs bee farm Steve's Bees, said the queen bee could not fly long distances and the car would have been a temporary stop for the swarm while they tried to find a permanent home.

"If you do see a swarm try and find a British Beekeepers Association-approved swarm collector," said Mr Jacklin.

"Don't be tempted to spray them with water or poison."

Once collected, the swarm collector will keep the bees to form a new hive or will give them to a fellow beekeeper, he said.