Volunteers needed to save beetle

A call has gone out to the British public to help with the search for a rare and colourful beetle.

The noble chafer is one of the UK's rarest insects. It's generally found in old orchards during July and August.

But these areas are being destroyed to make way for modern farming, meaning many beetles have lost their homes.

The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) wants people to scour their surroundings for the creatures as part of a bid to save the insect.

Click here to visit the PTES website and find out more

The noble chafer is usually found in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, but it's also been spotted in Kent, Hampshire, Cumbria and Oxfordshire.

Protect

The PTES thinks that if new populations of the creatures can be found, more can be done to protect them.

"It really is essential that we look out for these beautiful creatures," said a PTES spokesman.