An Oldham councillor has called for tighter bans to be put in place on pesticides to protect bees.

Oldham Lib Dem leader Cllr Howard Sykes MBE has urged the Conservative led government to introduce bans to protect British bees.

World Bee Day takes place on Monday, and with it fresh efforts to save Oldham's pollinators - as residents are asked to plant flowers to celebrate.

Cllr Sykes said: "We want to see tighter bans on pesticides to protect bees.

"The government must reinstate the bans that were in place for the most harmful substances. Those pesticides were taken out of use for a good reason.”

​According to the British Beekeepers Association, bees in the UK are at risk after the government lifted bans on harmful pesticides.

Thiamethoxam, a lethal substance that can disrupt a bee's ability to navigate, reproduce, and significantly reduce its chance of survival, is legal to purchase in the country - so to are other neonicotinoids.

According to the EU, Neonicotinoids are active substances used in plant protection products to control harmful insects, which means they are insecticides.

The Conservative government has lifted a ban on them, meaning they they can currently be used on crops - despite the fact that a single teaspoon of these pesticides can deliver a fatal dose to as many as 1.25 billion bees.

To mark World Bee Day 2024, people are encouraged to plant flowers and shrubs that help bees and other pollinators thrive in the UK. 

According to the World Bee Day UK website, the best plants are Lavender, Oregano, Borage Blue and Rhododendron.

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