Bee swarm shuts Greggs and other shops

Simon Emms said the bees were easy to capture once he had isolated the queen

A beekeeper has come to the aid of a row of shops that were closed because of a swarm of bees and was rewarded with a free coffee from Greggs.

Simon Emms, from Priorslee Honey in Telford, said he got the call from another shop on Market Street, in Oakengates, on Saturday.

He said it appeared the bees had left a nest and were attempting to set up a new colony, but once he had captured the queen they all peacefully followed her into a box.

Mr Emms is on a list of swarm collectors set up by the British Beekeepers Association and said once the street was clear someone from Greggs came out to offer him the drink as a thank you.

The staff member told him they had enjoyed their 20-minute break, he said, but were grateful the bees had gone.

"It was mostly about keeping people safe," he said, adding that no-one had been stung.

Jobs like this are not unusual, but Mr Emms said it was rare to find bees swarming near shops, rather up a tree or in someone's garden.

Mr Emms is on a British Beekeepers Association list of swarm collectors

He said swarming typically occurred when a surplus queen bee leaves a hive with part of the colony to set up a new one somewhere else.

The beekeeper, who sells his own honey from nearby Priorslee, said when bees did this they had "nothing to defend so tend not to be too aggressive".