Egham scientists to battle super weed

But a team of scientific researchers from CABI, a not-for-profit agricultural research organisation in Bakeham Lane, want to introduce millions of jumping plant lice, or psyllids, which feed from the sap of the nuisance plant, to keep numbers and spread under control.

Whether they can depends on them getting permission from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Principal investigator at CABI, Rob Tanner, says current control measures, chemical and physical removal, have little effect and are costly, lengthy processes. He believes this biological option will provide a cheaper, greener, alternative.

He said: "A Defra working group estimated it would cost close to £1.56n to eradicate the plant from the UK. Biological control offers a natural alternative that is both ecologically and economically sustainable.

"Japanese knotweed can be found throughout Surrey. In Egham, large canes of the plant can be found behind a bus stop near the High Street."

It was introduced as an ornamental plant in Victorian times but escaped from the gardens of stately homes and over the years has spread prolifically across the the country, bludgeoning native plant species, as no UK species of plant or animal feed on it.

Runnymede Council parks manager, Peter Winfield, said the notorious plant, most prolific in the south-west of England, did have footholds in the borough.

He added: "I can only say in terms of the extent of the problem here, we do have pockets of Japanese knotweed in places and we tend to use chemicals that have been reasonably effective to date, but not totally effective.

"As for the psyllids, I don't really know enough about them to comment."

If given approval, the insects could be introduced into the UK countryside by 2009.