A SHOPPER could not bee-lieve it when he saw this car swarmed by bees at a Bournemouth shopping centre.

The car, which was parked outside Sainsbury’s at Castlepoint, had the rear light covered in honeybees on Saturday afternoon.

A spokesman for Castlepoint said they called in a volunteer to remove the bees before the car could be driven away.

The beekeeper, John Bradley from East Dorset Bee Keepers’ Association, arrived fully dressed in protective clothing and teased the bees into a basket with smoke.

The owner had been shopping in the supermarket when the bees arrived and was told to stay parked until all the bees had gone.

No one was injured or stung.

Jenny Wellman, secretary at East Dorset Bee Keepers’ Association, said the swarm was a natural process for bees to expand their numbers, and that it is not unusual to see this in May and June.

She said it was correct that the bees had laid a new queen in their previous colony and the old queen is accompanying her old bees to a new home. All people have to do is to either phone the local council who have our number or go to the British Bee Keepers’ Association website for help,” she added.

“Don’t try and deal with them yourself, or if you are in a car, don’t drive away.

“Call an expert – don’t put yourself in harm’s way. These bees are not fussy about where they pitch themselves.”