Gardeners at Penrith station are welcoming a new kind of commuter - bees.

A new garden has been created on platform two by 25 green-fingered growers.

Their creation is thought to be the first bee-friendly garden on the West Coast Main Line.

The garden is designed to provide the insects with the habitat they need and show how important they are in the production of food.

The idea came from Virgin Trains' customer service assistants Liam Edmondson and John Kelly at the station to create a space for customers to relax before catching a train.

It has now flourished into a bee garden thanks to the hard work of the Penrith Community Gardeners.

Liam and John initially set out to provide customers with a space they could sit and relax away from the hustle and bustle of the station, in support of Virgin Trains’ partnership with national charity Rethink Mental Illness. However, it soon became apparent that the garden could also provide the tranquil habitat needed by a different type of local sightseer.

Keen to highlight the declining habitats available to bees and inspire people to encourage bees in their own gardens, the Penrith Community Gardeners brought together gardeners, volunteers, clients from Eden Mencap and schoolchildren from North Lakes School to create a bee haven.

The garden features bee-friendly plants including nasturtiums, wildflowers and rosemary, a grassed area with picnic benches and a bee hotel.

To encourage bees across the station, suitcases transformed into planters have been placed on different platforms.

Visitors can learn more about bees through a colony of decorative yellow bees on display that feature facts about buzzy insects.

Michael Byrne, Virgin Trains' station manager at Penrith, said: "Our bee-friendly garden offers a warm welcome to people and bees, and we can reassure our customers that in true Cumbrian spirit, the local bees are a very friendly, laid-back bunch.

“We’re proud to support what matters to the local community and create a place where people can take time out of their day to relax.

"We’ve had great fun working with everyone involved – not only have we helped to attract more bees but we’ve brightened up the station, brought a smile to those travelling to, from or through Penrith station, and created a real buzz within the community."

Darryl Cox, science policy officer at Bumblebee Conservation Trust, said: "It’s fantastic to see the local community and the Penrith station team come together to make a space for bees and other pollinators.

"Our wildflower habitats have undergone a serious decline over the last eighty years and this is a shining example of how we can provide food for pollinators in our communities.

"It would be great to see other stations follow their lead."

The Penrith Bee Garden has been nominated for the Cumbria in Bloom Awards and features as part of the town’s entry in Britain in Bloom, where it has reached the final.