A queen bee was killed when vandals damaged a community hive that had been set up on a playing field.

Chris Place, 74, said bricks and wooden poles appeared to have been used to lever over the hive at King George V Playing Fields in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

He said volunteers had spent the past year growing the thriving colony, but were now having to try to introduce a replacement queen.

Volunteers said the damage happened between 17:30 BST on 5 September and 08:30 the following morning.

Place, a volunteer beekeeper, said the hive's metal stand was buried about 18in (46cm) into the ground but appeared to have been levered upwards using bricks and wooden poles.

Branches had also been taken from a nearby dead hedge and used to strike the hives, he said.

Place added: "People might think it's just a wooden box that's been knocked over. It isn't. It's a living colony containing thousands of bees."

Place said he had found a replacement queen costing about £50, which volunteers would carefully introduce to the colony.

"If they accept her, we've got a fighting chance," he said, adding that the colony could otherwise be lost.

"All the volunteers were very proud of what we've achieved there and now it's just been destroyed," Place said.

He said six or seven regular volunteers helped care for the apiary, which is a community rather than commercial project.

Honey produced by the bees is sold through the site's Georgie Porgies café to help raise funds.

Place said a hive was also vandalised at the site last year, although volunteers were able to put it back together.

He said bees already faced threats from parasites, disease, wasps and Asian hornets.

"They've got enough challenges without humans deliberately creating another one," he said.

In a letter seen by the BBC, local MP Angela Rayner said she was "horrified" by the vandalism and described it as "something so mindless".

She offered her support to the volunteers and said she would like to visit the project.

The Friends group has appealed for anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity around the hives to come forward.