Hope for the survival of Kent’s rarest bumblebee has been boosted after conservation efforts proved successful.

The rise in population of the shrill carder bee, one of the most endangered in the UK, at Victory Wood in Yorkletts, near Whitstable, has seen the site granted “champion status” for the insect.

The unusual bee, which is named for its particularly high-pitched buzz, is now only found in five places in the UK and its population has plummeted since the 1950s.

The rarity of the bee made its discovery in the Kent woodland in 2018 a surprise and resulted in the Woodland Trust teaming up with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to set up a programme to boost population.

The Woodland Trust’s Dr Hazel Jackson, who is head of conservation outcomes and evidence, said: "We are so pleased and excited that Victory Wood has been recognised as a champion site for the shrill carder bee – it’s a real conservation success story and a great example of nature recovery.

“Since the amazing discovery of the bumblebee on site, we have been working closely with Bumblebee Conservation Trust to monitor and strengthen the shrill carder bee population.

“We have also provided specialist training for volunteers and local residents in both identification and bee survey techniques.

“It really does show how restoring nature to a site can boost biodiversity and aid our fight against climate change.”

When the first shrill carder bee was spotted at the site four years ago, the newly-formed conservation team could only dream of the successes the programme has seen since, with 121 individuals being counted in a recent survey.

Daisy Headley of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust said: "We are really excited to announce Victory Wood as a Champion site for the shrill carder bee.

"We started designating champion sites to celebrate the exemplary work that sites are doing for our rare and scarce bumblebees.

“Victory Wood, since its discovery, have gone above and beyond, not only managing the site sympathetically to provide forage and nesting habitat for this bumblebee, they have also aided in the monitoring of the population and promoting its story to those visiting the site.

“Hard work like this deserves to be recognised and we hope that other sites can look to Victory Wood for inspiration!"

The work to save this rare creature focuses on creating a flower-rich habitat, including Red Bartsia – one of the shrill carder’s favourite plants.

Bumblebees are vital pollinators and they do important work in producing the food we eat, from tomatoes to apples, peas and strawberries.