Giant swarm of bees cover pedestrian crossing at train station

By James Connolly

A giant swarm of bees engulfed a pedestrian crossing outside a busy train station - forcing stunned commuters to dodge the insects.

The huge buzzing mass surrounded a crossing near the exit to Leeds Station at around 6: 30 p.m. on Monday, May 25.

Nightlife entrepreneur Terry George caught the bizarre scene on camera while walking to his nightclub Fibre.

He said: "I was going to press the button but then I saw all the bees surrounding it and thought - no way.

"People crossing the road were trying to dodge them."

Footage shows the bees swarming on New Station Street, completely covering the pedestrian crossing button - with more insects buzzing through the air nearby.

Terry, from Leeds, West Yorks., added: "It was kind of strange, because at first you can't see them - it just looks like a big mass.

"Then people started to notice and stand far away. It hadn't been cordoned off or anything. I thought that might happen."

According to the British Beekeepers Association, honey bee swarms often form temporary clusters around their queen while scout bees search for a permanent new nesting site.

After filming the scene, Terry said he researched why the insects may have gathered around the crossing.

He said: "When they're moving colonies, the Queen Bee will move somewhere and all of the other bees will gather until they find another nest.

"It's very odd, because I was talking to a gardener who said to me there was a big colony of bees hovering in the sky in Calderdale at around the same time.

"It's strange that there were two big colonies spotted so near to each other. I wonder if the heat had anything to do with it."

Leeds City Council and Network Rail were approached for comment.