What is this massive blue beetle in my garden?

[Tiptopj]

Found this little guy on my patio tonight and Google hasn't helped identify him. I'm assuming beetle of some kind but just curious if anyone has seen one of these before and if so am I likely to have a problem with them eating my plants. Thanks.

He might actually be black not blue my eyes are going funny!

I saw one of these for the first time ever a year ago, (am 33), and my German friend said it's a 'May beetle/bug', whether she was right or not I don't know. Off to google!

Or maybe not!

Sorry I don’t know, but I have just been having a quick google myself, and have just discovered that there are 4000 beetle species in the U.K.!

I can't find anything that resembles it so I'm now wondering if it's a normal black beetle carrying something( larve?). Eugh anyway thanks both for replying I'm off to have nightmares after googling insects all evening

Try asking on whatisthisbug on Reddit - www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisbug. I'm intrigued! :)

Looks quite like a Black clock beetle (aka Pterostichus madidus) but I've never seen one with the wing cases up like that. It almost looks as though it has been parasitised by a fungus.