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Thieves who stole 14 hives containing tens of thousands of bees have cost a honey firm up to £11,000.

Nathan Egerton Evans said some of his best producing colonies in Mynydd y Garth, near Llangollen, Denbighshire, were taken earlier this month.

The co-director of West Coast Apiaries believes they were taken in the night by someone who has knowledge of beekeeping.

North Wales Police said it was investigating.

Mr Evans said the thieves cut the fence of the landowner, "very swiftly, came in and made off into the night" sometime between Monday and Wednesday.

He added: "It's got quite a complicated endeavour to sort of put a value on... but we've calculated it's going to cost us somewhere around £10,000 to £11,000."

Police Community Support Officer Iwan Owen said whoever took the hives from Blackwood Lane came prepared.

"They're likely to have been taken in a vehicle similar to a long wheelbase Ford Transit, or a trailer," he said.

"They are likely to have been taken late at night because the bees would presumably return to the hive after about 8.30pm."

Mr Evans still remains hopeful the hives and bees will turn up.

"The beekeeping industry is quite a close-knit community. We do have sort of lots of friends and contacts that have been very helpful in sort of spreading the word," he said.

"I just don't think it's possible for them to go unnoticed for too long."