Police investigating 'unusual crime' as 14 beehives stolen - likely by someone with 'beekeeping know-how'

Welsh police are asking for the public's help to find 14 hives full of honeybees - which they say were most likely taken by someone with knowledge of beekeeping.

On Twitter, the North Wales Police's Rural Crime Team posted that they were investigating a report of 14 stolen beehives in the Llangollen area - with the critters believed to have been swiped sometime between 8am on Saturday (28 July) and midnight on Monday (31 July).

In a video statement, police community support officer Iwan Owen described the case as "a bit of an unusual one". The hives had been situated on Blackwood Lane on Garth Mountain, he said from the scene, and all 14 had incumbent bees.

"This is an appeal for anybody who's seen anything suspicious on that time. Also, an appeal to the beekeeping community," officer Owen added. "Clearly, anybody seen with these hives would have some knowledge about beekeeping."

He also urged anyone who had been in the area who had dashcam footage to please have a look, as well as local residents with CCTV at their homes.

"They are likely to have been taken late at night, because the bees would presumably return the the hive after about 8.30 [in the evening], so we're looking for anything about that time."

Given the number of hives taken, officer Owen said they were likely on the lookout for a long wheelbase Ford Transit, or potentially a trailer. Anyone aware of somebody with a sudden influx of new hives, or who had started selling hive boxes or new colonies should get in touch, he said.

Bee colonies can fetch hundreds of pounds in the spring, and one long-time Lincolnshire farmer even gave up his hives for good this year - after he was targeted by professional thieves five separate times.

Guy Williams told the BBC he believed the thieves were professionals because they took only the brood boxes - where the queen is usually situated - rather than wrangling entire hives. It was "very depressing", he said, and the thefts had made his honey business unviable.

Anyone who might have any information on the stolen hives can contact the force either via the website, or by calling 101 - using reference number A121770.