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A rare bee which the UK government sentenced to death after it travelled home with a family from Turkey has escaped.

The insect, thought to be from the osmia avosetta species of mason bee, is believed to have been brought back last month in the family’s luggage.

The British Beekeepers Association has warned its presence in the country could be devastating for native bees as it could carry deadly viruses or multiply and outcompete other species for food.

The Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it intends to catch and kill the bee.

But the Toy family, from Bristol, has now revealed that the insect, which was living in their conservatory, has disappeared.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), part of Defra, asked anyone who has seen a potentially non-native bee to report it to a local beekeeping association.

It came as a major Turkish newspaper ran a story appearing to criticise Britain's stance. The headline in Hurriyet read: "Don't kill the Turkish bee."

The head of Turkey’s beekeepers union also waded in, accusing foreign tourists of removing wildlife.

According to The Telegraph, he said: “They are able to catch a variety of insects and bees and take them away in cages. They come here to do this very intentionally.”

Osmia avosetta bees are known to use flower petals to construct nests for larvae. Following its journey from Dalaman, the bee had been using a Hydrangea plant in the family’s conservatory.

APHA said it is planning to collect the cocoons for testing.

A spokesman told the Standard: “We are taking prompt action to collect any cocoons from the house which will be then assessed by experts.

“We continue to work with the National Bee Unit and their nationwide network of bee inspectors to monitor the situation.”