Driver stunned by bee car damage

17/05/2011

By Scott Allan

An 81-year-old man who took his mis-firing car to a garage was left gobsmacked when mechanics discovered the cause of his problems - a family of bees had started making honeycomb in his engine.

Alf James, of Haslingden, Lancashire, had noticed a gradual decline in the performance of his 11-year-old Peugeot 106 and took it to his local Bosch Car Service garage, where it promptly failed an MoT due to emissions problems.

When mechanics carried out a more detailed examination of his vehicle's engine, they found that two of the vehicle's cylinder head ports were stuffed full of honeycomb.

Mr James, who thought garage staff were joking at first, said: "My garden is a haven for bees - we were even on BBC Radio Lancashire a few years ago reporting on the huge problem we have, it's a real hassle for us in the summer months. Never in my years did I think that the bees would make my car their home."

Garage manager Neil Wright said: "In nearly 25 years of working in this business, I have never seen anything like this. The car was misfiring and running badly."