Village vigilantes attack alien

A village offensive to rid a Lake District village of an invading alien species has scored early victories.

Grasmere resident Bev Dennison has been warmly praised for leading villagers into battle against Japanese and Himalayan Knotweed in a three-year action plan.

Lake District National Park Authority ranger Steve Gaskell says an enormous amount of work has been done - including negotiating with around 40 separate landlords - to bring about extensive spraying of the problematic plant.

"Bev and his team have worked tirelessly on this project," said Steve. "They found additional knotweed sites to the 200 we had already identified around Grasmere and set about getting funding together to pay contractors for spraying."

Although the clearing programme will run for three years, Bev said he was delighted by efforts so far to help stem "Britain's most noxious, aggressive and fastest growing weed."

"The plant shades out all native plant life and has no natural predators. Knotweed thrives on disturbance so cutting or pulling the stems, which can grow up to three metres, is not an option," he explained. "Spraying is the only answer."

An appeal in Grasmere's parish magazine green section brought offers of help, a £1,000 pledge from a second homeowner living in the South of England and cash pledges from a Grasmere Village Charity and the Tourism and Conservation Partnership.

Bev paid tribute to farmer Jocelyn Riley who helped negotiate with landlords for permission to spray and everyone who had contributed time and money.

"We think we have killed around 80 per cent of Grasmere's knotweed this year, we will be out again next May and September and monitoring the situation the following year," he said.

"Originally we had quotes of up to £12,000, but because we have done so much of the leg work ourselves we have managed to keep costs down to £3,000 so far."

"It's only through collective community action and working with the LDNPA and other agencies that Knotweed is being tackled effectively here in this valley."