AN INVADER capable of cracking concrete, toppling tombstones and undermining buildings is at large in South Lakeland.
The invader is an alien species called Japanese knotweed, which the Environment Agency rates as the most invasive weed in Britain.
Natland parish councillor Peter Collins spotted some on the boundary of his parish beside the A65 near Westmorland General Hospital and has warned that the pesky plant must be nipped in the bud before it spreads through the region.
Mr Collins said: "It is important that we stop this plant taking hold, not just in our parish but in the whole area."
A native of Japan, Taiwan and Northern China, the knotweed was first imported into Britain as an ornamental plant in the early 19th century and became naturalised on the slag heaps of Welsh coal mines as early as 1886.
But the prolific pest is notoriously hard to kill.
Cutting and mowing will take 10 years to kill it if it works at all, and pulling or digging it up will take at least five years with no guarantee of success.
Chemical spraying is the only serious option for eradicating the evil weed, but the chemicals can be harmful to other plants and the treatments must be repeated three times a year for three or four years.
A thumbnail-sized piece of Japanese Knotweed is enough to propagate whole new generation and it is one of only two plants in Britain which it is actually illegal to spread.
When plants are removed, they have to be disposed of at special Government approved sites.
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