WORCESTERSHIRE has been praised for taking vital steps towards protecting our under-threat bee population.

Worcestershire County Council has been recognised Earth and Buglife for developing a pollinator action plan.

If a pollinator action plan is adopted, Worcestershire will be one of a few councils with comprehensive action plans in place.

The council told the environmental groups it had a policy of allowing wild flowers to grow and said it only cuts the first 1m of verges and corners necessary for highway safety.

Councillor Tony Miller, cabinet member with responsibility for the environment, said: “Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths and beetles, are vital for the agricultural and horticultural industries which are both particularly important in Worcestershire.

“The pollinator action plan that has been developed by Worcestershire County Council commits the council to protecting pollinator habitats on land that the county council is responsible for such as roadside verges and county council run parks.”

The environmental groups are urging other authorities to follow Worcestershire's lead.

Friends of the West Midlands campaigner Chris Crean said: “It’s fantastic that Worcestershire County Council is developing a pollinator action plan, and other local authorities are taking steps to help our under-threat bees.”

Paul Evans, Buglife pollinator advisor, added: “By developing a Local Pollinator Action Plan, local authorities can ensure that the needs of pollinators are considered across all their functions, and that positive action is embedded in their work into the longer-term.”

A YouGov poll for Friends of the Earth and Buglife, published last year, revealed that nearly two thirds of the public agreed councils should be doing more to help protect our bees. More than 80 per cent of the public backed calls for councils to help Britain’s under-threat bees by cutting areas of grass less often in parks and roadside verges.

Friends of the Earth and Buglife contacted all 27 county councils and had 19 replies.