A leading bee scientist has said a study on which the U.K. government based its position that neonicotinoid pesticides do not threaten bees may actually be the first conclusive evidence that they do, The Guardian reported. 

Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex, Dave Goulson, reanalyzed a 2013 study on the effect of the world's most heavily used pesticides on bumblebees by the U.K's Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera).

Fera's scientists said that bee hives “remained viable and productive in the presence of the neonicotinoid pesticides under these field conditions”, but Goulson claimed the experiment found that all hives where clothianidin - a common neonicotinoid - was present had a reduced number of queen bees.

“The conclusions they come to seem to be completely contrary to their own results section," Goulson was quoted as saying.

“They find that 100% of the time there is a negative relationship between how much pesticides were found in the nest and how well the nest performed, and they go on to conclude that the study shows that there isn’t a significant effect of pesticides on bee colonies. It doesn’t add up.”

The Guardian reported that the study was never peer-reviewed and has been rejected by the EU's safety authority, but the U.K's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) cites it on their website as a foundation for its support of the pesticides.

A Fera spokesman reportedly appeared to agree that the government had drawn the wrong conclusion from the study.

“In the executive summary of our 2013 report we clearly stated that our experiment lacked the power to reach any firm conclusions about the impact of seed coated neonicotinoid on bumblebee health," he was quoted as saying.

"Whilst there was an absence of evidence to support the hypothesis that neonicotinoids harm bees, this does not lead to the conclusion that they are benign."

The story added a Defra spokeswoman said the new analysis would be reviewed by the independent advisory committee on pesticides to ensure their policy was "based on the best scientific evidence available."

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