Car mechanic Howard Horwich needed a Plan Bee to tackle his latest job.

The mechanic arrived at work to find an old G-reg Vauxhall Carlton outside his workshop – with up to 10,000 bees on the door.

The owner had parked the car outside Horwich Motor Engineers on Newhaven Business Park, Eccles, waiting to be serviced.

Then, seemingly from nowhere, the swarm arrived.

Fortunately, the garage doubles as a bee keeping equipment warehouse and Howard used to keep bees.

He got straight on the phone to local apiarist and friend Cyril Caldecott, who was due to pick up some beehive foundation from the warehouse.

Howard said: “Cyril is a regular customer of my father, Maurice, who keeps bees and runs the equipment firm.

“I said to him that his equipment was ready for collection – and that there was the added bonus of a swarm for him to collect. He jumped at the chance because bee numbers have gone down in recent years.”

Using a small step ladder, Cyril encouraged the bees into a box using a smoke machine.

Grandad Cyril, 81, who lives in nearby Winton, said: “It's very unusual for them to land on a car when there's trees about – and bees don't particular like black.

“It could have been the warmth from the car, or the queen could have just got tired and plonked herself down for a rest.

“They could have started to build a home on the car because there were wax deposits on the car.”

Getting all the bees into the box took two to three hours, said Cyril, adding: “You can't rush bees.”

They are now in Cyril's back garden and 'doing very well', he said.

The owner of the car is away in America and is still unaware of the incident, said Howard.

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