Alert on plant disease
A virulent plant disease attacking parts of a Staffordshire beauty spot could pose a serious threat to gardens.
A virulent plant disease attacking parts of a Staffordshire beauty spot could pose a serious threat to gardens.
Cannock Chase Council has warned people enjoying walks on Cannock Chase to be careful not to spread phytopthera to their gardens as the only way to tackle it is to burn the infected plants.
The disease has been identified by Staffordshire County Council on the Shugborough estate and also in the adjacent Brocton Coppice. The county has been checking all other sites in the area to confirm the extent of the spread.
It is believed that the infection has been carried from Shugborough to Brocton Coppice on soil in the hooves or fur of deer.
One particular strain of the disease, known as Phytopthera rumorum, is a disease which has to be notified to the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs. This has now been confirmed on the Shugborough Estate.
A different strain of the disease has been found at Brocton Coppice.
Warning notices have been erected around known infected areas and people have been requested to keep to designated footpaths and keep dogs on leads to avoid spreading the disease from these areas.
The only treatment for the disease is incineration of the plant material and the county council is looking into ways of doing this on site to minimise possible further spread of the disease.
Councillor Tony Williams, Cannock Chase Council environment cabinet member, warned that home owners or their dogs who stray from paths in infected areas could bring the disease to their own back door.
He said: "Phytopthera rumorum is a very serious plant disease that if you brought into your garden could lead to the death of many garden plants.
"As such we are asking people to be considerate and not wander over or let dogs run free in the areas that have been identified.
"Cannock Chase Council is working closely with the county council and is checking all its sites for signs of the disease.
"Hopefully, we will not have to close any areas off but this would depend on the results of the plant tests."
