The UK government has approved the use of neonicotinoids, despite a ban since 2018.

Soil Association Senior Farming Policy Officer Lucia Monje-Jelfs said: "Time and time again we see the government ignoring its own advice and allowing bee-harming neonicotinoids.

"These chemicals are a disaster for our wildlife, our soil and especially our pollinators.

"This is the fourth year running we've been told it's a temporary solution – this is simply not a credible claim.

"This news has come on the same day that the Office for Environmental Protection published a report showing the government is off track to meet its nature targets.

"So-called 'emergency' derogations such as these distract from action on finding sustainable alternatives – this short-term thinking is only delaying progress towards our environmental commitments.

"Farmers want to future-proof their farms – for this to be possible, we need more investment to drive research into agroecological alternatives and support for farmers to adopt these methods through peer-to-peer learning and training.

"The government must show genuine leadership to meet their environmental ambitions and prioritise solutions that protect our endangered bee population and all other life on earth."