REGARDING The Argus story "Bumblebee expert slams decision to allow harmful pesticide" (February 1) and the government's decision to allow a "lethal" pesticide named neonicotinoid, which was previously banned by the European member states in 2018.

Michael Gove, who was Environment Secretary at the time, supported the ban and said the restrictions would be kept following Brexit.

Professor of biology Dave Goulson a the University of Sussex, who specialises in ecology and conservation of bees and other insects, describes the government's decision as "foolish".

"These chemicals are very poisonous to all insect life. Once in the soil they stay there for several years, we also know they leach into streams and affect aquatic life too.

Bees and other insects are so important to pollinate three quarters of the crops we grow of fruit and vegetables which we take for granted.

Nature depends on them too - 87 per cent of the world's plants need pollinating. It would be a catastrophe if they were to disappear."

The professor, who is the founder member of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, said: "Neonicotinoid pesticides are so lethal that just five grams on a teaspoon is enough to kill1.25 billion honey bees."

How can the government be so blind as not to see the extraordinary damage that can be brought about by this decision?

Judy Way