County 'fighting losing battle' against ash dieback

Fighting a widespread outbreak of ash dieback is a "losing battle" as diseased trees are "everywhere", experts said.

About 100 infected trees will be felled in Hedgecock Wood at Ham Hill Country Park near Yeovil. Council leaders said the action was needed to stop "huge trees" falling on walkers.

The Somerset Wildlife Trust said infected trees across its reserves in the county are spreading quickly.

Head of land management at the Trust Rachael Fickweiler said: "There isn't anything to do to prevent the spread - it's gone too far and it's everywhere."

"It's a fungus, so it's spread on leaf matter and in the wind.

"We tried to undertake biosecurity measures to prevent it from spreading but that was fairly ineffectual and it will just spread from tree to tree in a woodlands," Ms Fickweiler added.

The Mendip hills have also been badly affected, the wildlife trust confirmed.

"There's a number of situations there that mean that the geology, the landscape, type, the humidity... means it spreads very easily there," Ms Fickweiler said.

At Hedgecock Wood, dozens of diseased ash trees will be removed adjacent to the pathway.

Work has been commissioned by the Duchy of Cornwall, which owns the wood.

The council's lead member for the environment councillor Oliver Patrick told BBC Radio Somerset the problem is "serious".

"Ash dieback is just everywhere - about 90% of trees are affected.

"It's for public safety, because there's a footpath running through the site and we can't tolerate the impact it might have on people who are going for a nice walk and then a huge tree falls over."

Mr Patrick said the decision to fell the trees was "very regrettable" but added: "It's got to be done."

He also said some of the older trees are showing signs of resistance to the disease and they could be protected in the future, but admitted the council is "fighting a losing battle".

The Duchy of Cornwall, which is overseen by the Prince of Wales, said it plans to balance the wood's biodiversity by restocking the area with native trees in the future.

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