Thousands of defenceless bees have frozen to death after their colony was kicked over by vandals.

Colonies at Clock House Farm in Coxheath have been targeted three times since October, the latest attack coming two weeks ago.

Michael Smith said: “This is the time of year the bees are at their most vulnerable.

“They are all in cluster, they’ve got to keep the queen at 35 degrees or she’ll freeze, if that’s interfered with, it all goes pear shaped.

“If someone attacked their colony at this time of year the bees wouldn’t be able to sting and they’d freeze.”

The beekeeper of 12 years believes up to 30,000 were inside the colony, before it was kicked over and destroyed on January 16.

Mr Smith continued: “We’re under so much pressure at the moment anyway “I’ve got 60 colonies in all, half a dozen are very vulnerable during the winter, I naturally lose a couple of colonies every winter.

"This certainly doesn’t help.”

Locals around Coxheath have rallied to support the farm off Heath Road.

An online fundraising page set up to replace the £600 colony described the attack as “mindless”.

Mr Smith, however, has turned down the £178 raised so far wanting the money to go on other projects.

He said: “I know the boys who did it, I’ve spoken to them.

“They obviously told me it wasn’t them and was another lad, but they said they weren’t going to do any more harm. I thought well that’s a start.

“I can handle the loss of the colony, I want the money to go to the local youth club, or back into the Coxheath community.”

Mr Smith also lost a colony in October and December, which were both destroyed by vandals, but said: “We’ll go again in April, I’ll replace the colonies along with any I lose naturally over winter.”

• To donate visit tinyurl.com/beevandals