The Shrill Carder Bee, also known as the bombus sylvarum, has been spotted in Thamesmead

The Shrill Carder Bee, also known as the bombus sylvarum, has seen its numbers decline rapidly across the south of England over the past 100 years.

Last month it was found at Thames Water's Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, in Belvedere Road, as part of a project funded by The Co-operative’s Plan Bee campaign.

Conservation officer at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Sam Page, who spotted the bee, said: "Two species of bumblebee have become extinct in the UK since the 1940s and several others, including the Shrill Carder are at risk.

"The last sighting of this species in the area was nearly 10 years ago so it is great to see evidence of them surviving here."

There are just six or seven populations of the rare bee in England and Wales.

It was thought there may be a colony in the Thames Gateway but limited to the north Kent and south Essex coast, so experts were surprised to see this species at a site so close to London.

Sustainable development manager at The Co-operative, Chris Shearlock, said: "According to experts, this species has been declining dramatically in the last few decades so this is an important discovery, especially so close to central London.

"As part of our on-going Plan Bee campaign, we are providing advice to landowners on grazing management, scrub clearance and creating flower-rich habitat in order to support rare species of bee so a sighting of this kind shows that the project is really worthwhile."

The Co-operative’s Plan Bee campaign, which was launched three years ago, supports research into the native British honeybee, takes action on pesticide usage and has given away more than one million packets of wildflower seeds to provide pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators.