Paul McCartney stuns fans on the Magical Mystery Tour as they spot the singer FaceTiming his bandmate Ringo Starr during the Beatles themed trip

The Beatles fans got far more than they bargained for after paying for a themed tour around Liverpool on Tuesday - spotting two of the iconic band's members.

The Magical Mystery Tour - named after one of the Beatles' best loved albums - visits sites associated with band members Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, including where they grew up, met, and formed the band.

But the fans on this particular tour were treated to far more than a trip down memory lane, after pulling up beside Paul while stopped at a red traffic light.

Incredibly, Paul, 84, was FaceTiming his bandmate Ringo, showing the fans his phone while waving to them from an open window in the car.

Paul looked just as delighted to spot a bus load of his fans, waving and smiling as he passed them and flashed a peace sign.

Neil Morton, who has driven the bus for two years, told the BBC: 'It was surreal. I had pulled up at the traffic lights on Hope Street when who should I see - Sir Paul with Ringo on Facetime. He waved to us and everybody took photos.

'The passengers could not believe it.'

Paul was in Liverpool to present actor Stephen Graham with an award from the performing arts school he founded, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) was co-founded by Paul, who presented a companionship honour to fellow Liverpudlian Stephen. 

Beatles legend Ringo was last seen in person with his wife Barbara Bach as he celebrated his 86th birthday with his Peace and Love celebration.

The music star beamed as he posed for snaps at the event with his wife of 45 years, after he turned 86 earlier this month.

Barbara, 79, a former Bond Girl who starred in The Spy Who Loved Me, opted for a stylish cream blazer over an all-black look as she and Ringo posed for snaps together.

The couple married in 1981 after meeting on the set of Caveman the year before, and divide their time between homes in London, Los Angeles and Monte Carlo.

Barbara had already found fame as KGB agent Anya Amasova – not too subtly referred to as Agent Triple X – in the tenth James Bond movie which centered on a plan by a megalomaniac to destroy the world and create a new one under the sea.

Before that she was one of the most sought-after faces in the modeling scene, posing for fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle.

One of her most iconic shoots was in a Playboy spread in 1981, a year after she caught the eye of one of rock's greatest legends.

The couple endured their share of turmoil in the early years, from a near-fatal car crash to battles with addiction, before checking into rehab together and turning their lives around – trading their rock n' roll lifestyle for outreach work and a commitment to vegetarianism.

Though they never had children together, both came into the marriage with families of their own. 

Bach shares two children, daughter Francesca, 47, and son Gianni, 44, with her ex-husband, Italian industrialist Augusto Gregorini, whom she divorced in 1978 after a decade of marriage. 

Ringo was previously married to hairdresser Maureen Cox, and the couple had three children together, Zak, 60, Jason, 58, and Lee, 55.

He and Maureen split in 1975 after the singer faced accusations of infidelity during their marriage, and she died in 1994 after a battle with leukaemia. 

While The Beatles haven't performed together for half a century, the band is set to take centre stage in a series of biopics in 2028, directed by Sam Mendes.

The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event will see Barry Keoghan take on the role of Ringo, with the films set to document the iconic group's journey to stardom.

Paul and Ringo did reunite last month, when the drummer made an appearance on the singer's new album in the song Home to Us.

Sir Paul said: 'Ringo's never done a duet with one of the Beatles.'

Ringo also confirmed he had made a song with Sir Paul on the Jimmy Kimmel show.

He said: 'It started two years ago with the drums, it was like in reverse, the drums went on first. It's amusing and very real because that is where we come from.'

It is based on where they grew up in Liverpool, which Sir Paul has described as being 'a little rough, but home to us'.