Firefighters halted a pitchside invasion ahead of a EURO 2024 match – by a swarm of honeybees looking for a new home.

Sharp-eyed stadium officials spotted the swarm nesting around a digital advertising board ahead of the kick-off in the 19th June game between Germany and Hungary in Stuttgart.

The city Fire Department said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “The fire service successfully removed the swarm with the specialist personnel from Fire Station 1 – South.

“The digital advertising board had to be partially dismantled, with assistance from a stadium technician.”

Pictures show firefighters in specialist bee-keeping equipment helping to transfer the swarm to temporary hives.

The department explained: “The bees were relocated to a new habitat.

“The operation was able to be concluded after about an hour.

“Fire Station 1, along with its colleagues and the small emergency vehicle door opening, is specially trained, among other things, to rescue stinging insects.”