A beekeeper called in to trap a swarm causing chaos forgot the most important tool of his trade - and used a feathery sex toy instead.

Thousands of bees descended on George Street in Brighton yesterday, causing one man to flee his home as they began to build a nest in his porch.

Passers-by had gathered to watch the drama when Hilaire Purbrick, called in to trap the roaming queen, realised he had left behind his ostrich feather bee brush.

This being flamboyant Kemp Town, the nearest suitable replacement was an exotic "tickler", borrowed from a neighbouring fetish shop.

Sadly, the bees failed to see the attraction and flew off, surrounding a pushbike chained to nearby railings.

A second attempt to cage the queen also failed when the trap tumbled off the handlebars and the swarm spiralled off into the sky.

The three-hour chase began yesterday after Alan Campbell's home came under attack.

Mr Campbell, 56, said: "I was about to go out when my next-door neighbour phoned and said there were several thousand bees on my doorstep.

"I jumped over the garden wall and got out through her house. I think if I had opened my front door and found them there I would have had quite a shock."

After watching the bees take to the air, Mr Purbrick, 40, said: "Swarms like this are fairly common in summer although this year they have been later than usual because it has been so wet and cold.

"Now I expect it will be fast and furious for a while. I am hoping to catch them all and then I'll have a ready-made colony."

John Wright, 32, owner of Sin Bin in George Street, told how he stepped in to help when he heard of Mr Purbrick's predicament.

He said: "I sell loads of these things but I am pretty sure it's the first time I have ever seen one used like this before. It was quite a surreal sight.

"I won't be putting it back in the shop window. I think I'll take it home with me."