Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Pippa Neill Environment reporter

Defra breached law when it let farmers use bee-killing pesticide, watchdog says

IN: Defra OEP Doug Parr
Bee collecting pollen from a flower
On teaspoon of thiamethoxam, the active ingredient in the pesticide Cruiser SB, is enough to kill 1.25bn honeybees. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

The UK government breached environmental law on several occasions when granting farmers permission to use a bee-killing pesticide, a watchdog has found.

In 2023 and 2024, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the then Conservative government granted emergency authorisation to allow farmers to use a banned neonicotinoid pesticide on sugar beet crops.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
'I didn't know this place existed': Britney Spears enjoys family day at Dollywood
Britney Spears enjoyed a visit to Dollywood with her two sons - but admitted she hadn't been aware the theme park "existed" before their trip.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
How Jim Bakker became the Johnny Carson of Christian TV
When I was researching my 2017 book, “PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire,” I interviewed dozens of former staffers and supporters of PTL, the ministry, television and theme park empire that the Bakkers built starting in the 1970s.
The Conversation
The Conversation
GTA 6 Full Nudity and Censorship Updates: Quick Facts on Jason and Lucia in the Upcoming Release
An IGN gameplay demonstration showed GTA VI protagonist Jason naked in a shower, while official ratings confirm nudity and sexual content. The extent of explicit imagery remains unclear
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Nearly Two in Three Students Who Vape Use Geek Bar as 1.44 Million U.S. Youth Report E-Cigarette Use
About 1.44 million U.S. students vape, and 64% of them use Geek Bar, a new 2025 youth survey analysis shows. Here is what parents should know now.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
Kourtney Kardashian had fiery response to that viral Jennifer Lawrence video
Kourtney Kardashian was furious after seeing a video of Jennifer Lawrence calling her "more annoying than ever".
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Freddie Jackson, romantic US singer with 10 R&B chart-toppers, dies aged 70
Celebrated for his earnest, dextrous voice, Jackson crossed into the pop charts with the hits Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) and You Are My Lady
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play