AROUND 50,000 bees have been killed after arsonists destroyed their hives on an allotment. 

Five hives were burnt to the ground in the early hours of yesterday morning by vandals who rolled tyres under the hives to set them alight. 

Plot owners of Harpers Lane Allotments were devastated by the loss of the bees which had been cultivated over four years. 

One of the beekeepers, who was fearful of giving his name, said: "I'm totally shocked and my wife is totally devastated, she keeps saying about them all dying."

He added: "They were nice calm bees and they would sit looking out the hive at you."

Each of the hives cost around £245 and were made to order from red cedar by Dorset beehive builder Jim the Bee. 

Known as top-bar hives they are used for "natural" bee-keeping, letting bees produce honey at their own pace. 

The bees' keeper said they previously had not had great yields but had just acquired a new swarm which took up residence in a tree in the allotment. 

He said: "It's been a bit too dry this year and we were thinking next year would be a really good year because that [newest] hive was coming on fine."

Pointing out his oldest hive he said: "I'm really heartbroken about this lot. They were our first bees, they split a couple of times but they were still there. 

"I worry what they will do next."

This is another in a string of incidents in which the Harpers Lane Allotments have been targeted by vandals, either breaking into sheds or setting fires. 

The allotment owner thought every shed on the site had been broken into in the last three months. 

The fires were first spotted from Moss Bank Way which runs next to the large site. 

The beekeeper said: "Apparently at 4am someone was driving back from work and they saw flames and thought it was another shed. 
"They rang the secretary and she rang the fire brigade. We got called at about 7.30am."

The fire service received a call at around 6am yesterday morning. 
Crew manager Kevin France from Bolton North fire station called the incident "ridiculous".

He said: "There's two beehives had been burnt beyond recognition and one had been about halfway gone. You could still see all the bees and honey in it. It's ridiculous."

Six hives are set away from the plots in a wooded area, the fires did not spread and so no further damage was done. 

One hive remained unburnt but there are concerns that the bees may have died because of the amount of smoke given off by the burning tyres. 

Plot owners believed the tyres had come from a plot run by Church Road Primary School, close to the gate and then taken to the wooded area with the hives. 

Allotment owners are planning to fund some additional security measures at the site in a bid to keep their plots and hard work safe. 

In September Harpers Lane was one of three allotments where gardeners said they were fearful after continuing break ins.
Earlier this month vandals set fire to a shed and a greenhouse on the allotments destroying 20 years of work almost in an instant.