BUZZ off – trouble-makers are not welcome here.
That is the message behind an eco-friendly scheme to deter yobs at a popular tourist attraction.
Bee hives are being planned as a natural way to tackle vandalism at the Greenfield Mills heritage site.
The historic mill buildings at the heart of Greenfield Valley heritage park were forced to shut due to damage by vandals and weathering at the start of this month.
Now park managers have been “thinking laterally” about what to do next after securing funding to fence off the four-acre site from the rest of the 70-acre park.
Chris Wright, operations manager at Greenfield Valley Heritage Park, said: “Anyone who wanted to scale the fence would think twice about it if there were bees in there.”
Earlier this month, Mr Wright feared the copper, cotton and grain mills, which date to the 1770s, would never be re-opened to the public.
The idea for installing a colony of bees came from a staff member who keeps the insects at home.
Mr Wright said: “We want to tie the environmental side of the valley into the historical side.
“A couple of people have expressed health and safety concerns, but of course, there will be signs up advising caution, risk of anaphylactic shock and warning people there are bees inside – I think it would be irresponsible not to.
“We’re not going to hide the hives and hope they sting people, we’re hoping it will add to the ecology of the valley – but deterring vandals is a happy side-effect.”
He said the plan was to show parties who had pre-booked around the site, adding: “We’ll arrange to quiet the bees down when there are visitors, but we’ll place them where they are most effective at pollinating, away from the main site.”
He said they would be building species-specific bird and bat boxes into the repaired walls and growing wildflowers to give the old industrial site a new, wild lease of life.
“You’ve got to look at things sustainably – a lot of money has been invested in the past, a lot of money is being spent on the remedial work, and I don’t want to be in this situation in seven years’ time. A bit of lateral thinking is involved here.”
Buildings were restored using £170,000 of lottery grant money in 2000, and now funding had been granted by Cadw for fencing.
Mr Wright said: “It’s a holistic approach to the site so everybody wins – the site is protected, it’s still accessible and the wildlife is encouraged.
“Bees are not out and out aggressive creatures,” adding a full risk assessment would be carried out.
Flintshire’s lead member for tourism, Cllr Matt Wright, said the idea was “certainly unusual”.
He said: “It’s a very innovative way of increasing biodiversity and also deterring vandals.
“I’ve never heard of it ever before, anywhere – it’s quite exciting.
“Usually, when there’s vandalism like this, though, it’s a small minority causing it in a variety of areas.”