PLANS to make Worcestershire a landmark county for the protection of bees have been revealed - including getting schools involved.

Three months ago Worcestershire County Council first revealed its intentions to draw up a 'pollinator friendly' blueprint to respond to national concern over declining species.

A detailed plan of action has now been created which the Conservative leadership will be asked to endorse this Thursday, including:

- Countryside centres around the county, including the main one at Worcester Woods, are expected to get extra bee hives dotted around them

- Worcestershire's highways network will be examined to see if more roadside verge nature reserves can be created in suitable locations

- A bid has been made to the Government for extra funding so schools can create 'pollinator friendly zones' in their grounds as part of pupils' education

The schools funding bid has been made to DEFRA (the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and will focus on south Worcestershire sites like Worcester, Malvern and Droitwich initially.

The report says if successful, the council will launch a competition to select winning schools which will receive expertise to make their grounds pollinator-friendly.

If it proves popular and there is still money available it will then be rolled out across the rest of the county.

The report also reveals how the council wants the Heritage Lottery Fund to help assist with a trial scheme in Evesham, based on making the town more pollinator-friendly.

A bid will be put together in 2016 with input from the likes of the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

In recent months talks have taken place with other organisations to see if they are able to play a part in the efforts.

It has led to the University of Worcester agreeing to investigate all its sites to see if "pollinator corridors" can be created along them.

The project comes after years of alarming declines in bee species, which is down by a third since 2007.

Butterflies, months, beetles and hoverflies are some of the other species where numbers have tumbled.

Three bumble bee species have become extinct and another eight have declined around the nation over recent decades with the use of land, climate change and the use of chemicals all contributing factors.

The economic value of honey bees and bumble bees alone as pollinators of commercially grown crops in Britain is more than £200 million a year.

The cabinet will be asked to vote in favour of Worcestershire's new scheme on Thursday.