THREE beehives containing honey bees were victims of a sting after they were stolen from allotments in Middlesbrough.
The bees and the hives - which police said were worth "a substantial amount" were stolen from Whitehouse Farm Allotments, on Grove Road, North Ormesby, sometime between Monday, January 25 and Friday, January 29.
Beehives can contain up to 50,000 bees and each are worth hundreds of pounds.
"Bee rustling" has been on the increase in recent years - with the British Beekeepers Association urging beekeepers to get their hives micro-chipped so police can identify them if they are stolen. The decline in bee populations means they are more valuable than ever before.
Anyone who may have seen them advertised for sale or anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact PC Tim Gill on the non-emergency 101 number, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
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