Sandwell farm shop creates a buzz with freshly made honey

Sandwell Valley Country Park has collected around 700 jars of the sweet honey from its bees.

The park has more than a million of the under-threat honey bees kept in 30 hives at an apiary.

The bees produce honey in the autumn. It has been collected and is now on sale at the park's shop.

Senior countryside officer Malcolm Freeman said: "The honey is delicious and a real product of what we see down here.

"With the bees being under threat we made the decision two years ago to bring some here.

"We offer an ideal location and are able to provide observation areas for the public to see the honey making."

Exotic plants are planted around the apiary. One of the hives is behind glass for visitors to the attraction, off Salter's Lane in West Bromwich,

Mr Freeman said the honey could also help prevent people suffering from hay fever.

He said: "The good thing about the honey is what it does for hay fever.

"If we take honey produced locally it builds up our immunity to the pollen in the same area."

The demise of the country's honey bee population has concerned the Government. Last year it launched a 10-year Bee and Pollinator Strategy to encourage a 'flower-rich habitat' to provide more homes for wild honey bees.

Scientists warn that British bees are in serious decline with 71 of our wild bee species under threat and more than 20 already extinct.

Loss of habitat and forage are the main problems facing wild bees.

The country park has plans to introduce move hives, as well as moving them elsewhere in the park.