EUROPE'S ban on neonicotinoid pesticides should not be transferred into the UK's post-Brexit legislation, according to Scottish Conservative MP Colin Clark.

Speaking following a session of Westminster’s delegated legislation committee, the north-east politician insisted that there had been ‘unintended consequences’ from the EU's crackdown on neonicotinoid seed treatments – which was introduced in an attempt to protect bees and butterflies – and the UK should now grasp the opportunity to 'set its own policy'.

Mr Clark claimed that beekeepers themselves had raised concern that the restriction on neonics had 'back-fired', with pests flourishing and damaging crops, requiring other chemicals to be used in greater quantities.

“Pesticide control must be based on facts not a perceived risk," said the Gordon MP. “We should embrace the opportunity to set our own policies or we risk being left unable to grow valuable crops.

“The EU's decision to ban neonicotinoids has two detrimental outcomes. First, other contact chemicals have to be used in higher volumes we know kills all insects and secondly the increase in nuisance insects destroying flowering crops," he said.

“With a different climate, we can be very specific about policy design. Used as a seed treatment, neonicotinoids are buried under the ground, have relatively short efficacy and are in allegedly minuscule concentrations in the flowers when the bees are pollinating.”