Rowan Atkinson poses with flower sculpture of himself to help endangered bees

Rowan Atkinson has posed with a trio of flower sculptures made in his likeness to raise awareness of how to help endangered British bees.

A 100% increase in honeybee hives in London in the last ten years has meant that there’s now not enough nectar and pollen to sustain them.

Looking to combat the decline of native species, The British Bee Charity is asking the public to consider their local environment before keeping hives.

They have also partnered with Netflix to create the life-sized sculptures designed to offer a natural and sustainable food source for hungry bees.

The sculptures were unveiled on the grounds of London’s St Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday.

They depict Mr Bean star Atkinson, 67, as character Trevor Bingley from upcoming series on Netflix, Man vs Bee, which marks his first new TV comedy creation in nearly a decade.

Atkinson said: “My alter ego, Trevor, may go to battle with a bee, but personally I’m  pleased to have these eccentric statues help raise awareness of the plight of native British bees in this country.

“Packed with pollen, nectar and flowering plants to help raise a smile, make people consider the environment and create something of a bee buffet in an effort to help them survive the summer."  

Greg Bool from The British Bee Charity added: "For the most part, people know that honey comes from bees, but few realise there are over 250 species of bumble bees and solitary bees in the UK.

“With so many people now aware that ‘bees need help’ there’s been an upsurge in the number of honeybee hives in the UK when perhaps we should be educating people on providing more pollen-rich flowers and plants for hungry bees and pollinators.

“This is why we have partnered with Netflix to create a series of bee-friendly edible flower planters in British national treasure Rowan Atkinson’s likeness - to mark the launch of Man vs Bee, whilst raising awareness of how to support the plight of native species of British bees and pollinators at the same time.”