Planting flowers in urban green spaces across Cornwall “significantly boosted numbers” of pollinating insects, new research has showed.

The University of Exeter said it partnered with Cornwall Council and civil engineering firm Cormac to plant flowers, trees and shrubbery across 78 hectares in 15 Cornish towns.

They were planted in places including parks, small green spaces, road verges and closed churchyards.

Scientists at the university said the wildflowers led to a “two-fold increase” in flower visits by certain pollinators, particularly solitary bees and solitary wasps.