DO make a start straight away to deal with Japanese knotweed growing on your property. The longer you leave dealing with it, the more Japanese knotweed there will be to deal with! Don’t just cut the plant down and try to cover it up. Apart from being highly irresponsible, the problem could come back to haunt you when the plant regrows. If you have sold the house, there could be a legal claim against you.

DO visit the PCA’s web pages (www.property-care.org) or call the PCA (0844 375 4301) to seek advice.

DON’T cut down and/or dig up the plant and put it in the local authority compost collection. This would be breaking the law and Japanese knotweed rhizome is not necessarily killed by the composting process, part of which is to break up the material into small fragments, thereby potentially exacerbating the risk of spread.

DON’T contact the Environment Agency, SEPA, Natural Resources Wales or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to provide advice on your specific situation or to recommend a suitable contractor. They are not able to advice on each and every case and are restricted from recommending contractors.