The birds and the bees

According to the British Trust for Ornithology, Britain's robin population could be halved if a wet summer follows the worst breeding season on record. In 2008, almost one in four chicks died shortly after birth.

And the Co-op is banning eight pesticides from its farms and donating £150k for research to try and halt the decline in bee populations. This follows last week's Government announcement of an extra £4.3m for the protection of bees. Colonies have declined significantly over the past two years.