A BEEKEEPER was fined for driving in a bus lane on route to rescue bus drivers from a swarm of bees.

Chris Gittins, from Reading Beekeepers Association, was called in June to collect a swarm of bees from Reading Station.

The bees were in a bush by the Rail Air Coach Link to Heathrow stop. 

READ MORE: Anti-Boris banners hung round Newbury and Thatcham

Someone from the bus company rang him for urgent help, and the bee keeper said he was told he was allowed to drive down the bus lane to get to the swarm. 

But, as a result of the call-out, Mr Gittins was fined twice by Reading Borough Council for two incidents. The council cancelled one of the fines, instead upholding one single fine as they were so close together.

The beekeeper appealed that remaining fine, and won. 

READ MORE: Parents could be trapped in Lidl lockdown following nuclear emergency

He now wants an apology from the council, for taking up so much of his time just for ‘providing a public service’. 

He said “How ungrateful is that. It’s an appalling way to treat someone making a public service.

“To get there and park with all my equipment and bee vacuum, I had to go in the bus lane — the only way to get to and from the rail air entrance.” 

A council spokesman said: “We of course appreciate that Mr Gittin was carrying out a public service, but we will always consider all circumstances and in this case, access could have been gained from the opposite end of Blagrave Street, without any restriction.”

The spokesman said the rail air employees cannot give permission to drive in the bus lane. 

He said: “The appeals process exists to allow motorists to challenge the council’s decision and in this case, the adjudicator found for the driver, which we fully accept.”

Mr Gittins, who works with migrant children, asked the council for a donation to a children’s charity, or the beekeepers association. 

The council spokesman said: “Costs are usually only awarded where a council has acted unreasonably, and we note that the adjudicator awarded no costs in this instance.” 

Mr Gittins said: “My colleagues at Reading Beekeepers provide a valuable public service and we expect the council to support and not punish that service.”