Budding Bee keepers and honey lovers are excited about Honey Bee Day at Battersea Park Children's Zoo.

The day will focus on the importance of bees with live demonstrations, beeswax candle rolling and the opportunity to make a bee stick puppet.

James Hamill from the Honey Hive Shop will stage the event, and he sees it as a chance to raise bee awareness and also give hayfever sufferers a chance to try HayfeGUARD, a mixture of local raw honey and pollen concentrate.

Mr Hamill said: “I'm really looking forward to the day. It will be extremely educational and hopefully answer a lot of questions people may have about bee keeping.”

Mr Hamill has been keeping bees since he was five years old and bee keeping has been in his family for four generations.

It is hoped the Honey Bee Day will encourage people to keep their own bees and produce their own honey. Mr Hamill says it's a hobby which is relatively inexpensive and can be done in most small gardens and rooftops.

Bees contribute £200m each year to Britain's economy, but last winter one-fifth of hives perished.

The Honey Bee Day event takes place on Saturday 29th May. All activities are free, usual entrance fee applies. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information about the event visit thehivehoneyshop.co.uk