The bumblebee is a common sight in Kent but the short-haired variety disappeared two decades ago

Conservationists are abuzz today as the short-haired bumblebee is reintroduced to Britain... in Dungeness.

Wildlife protection experts have been raking over clover and creating ideal conditions for a species that has not been seen in Britain for more than 20 years.

The short-haired bumblebee was last recorded in Dungeness in 1988.

But it is now returning - thanks to a trip to Sweden and the hard work of conservation organisations, volunteers and local farmers.

Around 30 queen bees are being released at sites across the RSPB's Dungeness reserve.

The project - funded by Natural England and supported by the RSPB, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Hymettus Ltd - originally made attempts to bring the insect back from New Zealand.

However, healthy queen bees were being brought back from Sweden to the UK for disease screening.

They were collected earlier this year and have been in quarantine at the Royal Holloway College, London, to ensure they are virus-free.

The short-haired bumblebee. Picture: Dave Goulson

RSPB and Natural England have been working with farmers in the area to create wild flower-rich habitats ready for the reintroduction of the bees. This has already proving a success by encouraging the spread of several other rare bumblebee species back into the area.

Wildflower meadows have declined by 97% in the past 60 years in the UK. In that time, two species of bumblebees have gone extinct in the UK and many others have declined.

These insects have been declining across Europe due to the changes in agricultural practice that have seen the decline in flower-rich wild meadows.