Gloucester bee conservation project wins £50,000 grant

Individuals and organisations will be invited to set up bee habitats and help halt their decline

A £50,000 grant has been awarded to set up a bee conservation project in Gloucester.

The money, from the People's Millions lottery fund, will be used to encourage groups and individuals to set up habitats to attract the insects.

Bee populations in the UK have fallen with the destruction of their homes due to industry and development.

Adam Hart, from the Gloucester Bee Guardians Project, said the scheme would start next February.

"There'll be lots of activities throughout the city to get people involved, to try to make Gloucester a world leader in urban bee conservation," he said.

The project is part of the Stroud-based Bee Guardian Foundation which is working to boost the population of bees in Britain.

Experts say nearly all of the UK's 250 species of bee are in decline. Honeybee numbers have fallen by 10 to 15% in the last three years.