Bee and butterfly numbers have slumped after a tenth year of unsettled weather, National Trust experts have said.

Mild winter and spring weather meant a difficult year for warmth-loving insects, including common meadowland butterflies.

The assessment comes as the National Trust marks ten years of its annual weather and wildlife review, aimed at understanding how changing weather patterns is affecting wildlife at its places.

Matthew Oates, nature and wildlife specialist at the National Trust, said: ‘Another year of unsettled weather has seen extraordinary grass growth – good for livestock and hay making, but bad for many plants and insects which like short turf grassland, like the common blue butterfly.

‘2016 comes on top of an unsettled decade, with many species struggling in the face of climate change and more intensive farming practices.’ 

A mild winter, cold spring and mild, wet weather in May and June led to very high grass growth in early summer. Grass grew at a rate almost a third faster than in previous years.