A DANGEROUS plant that can cause serious burns, leaving lifelong scarring, has been discovered at a Ludlow beauty spot.

Giant Hogweed, which can also cause blindness if the sap gets in the eyes, has been discovered at one of most popular riverside walks in the town.

Walkers, including people out with children and dogs, are being warned to be vigilant.

The Friends of Whitcliffe Common hope that they have been able to remove the plant which has to be disposed of in controlled conditions but want to hear from anyone who thinks they may have discovered any other Giant Hogweed.

Giant Hogweed, which has been called “the most dangerous plant in Britain”, discovered last week on the banks of the River Teme at one of Ludlow’s most popular walks, has been removed.

Volunteers from the Friends of Whitcliffe Common, working in protective clothing, tackled the task of getting rid of 10 of the weeds found growing on what is known as Fisherman’s Path on the Breadwalk.

“Once we learned of the presence of the hogweed we marked off the area to protect the public, putting up warning notices,” said Rick Summers who led the operation to remove the plant.

“Then we set about digging up the plants, cutting them up into plastic bags, before taking them to the Craven Arms Amenity site. Because of the toxic nature of the hogweed it cannot be disposed of in the usual green waste bins.”

Giant Hogweed – also known as Giant Cow Parsley or Hogsbane - causes serious skin inflammation, involving blisters which can lead to long lasting scars.

This is due to toxic chemicals which are present in the leaves, roots, stems and even the flowers and seeds. In some of the more serious cases, people have needed treatment in hospital.

Native to the Caucasus and Central Asia, it was first brought to Britain in the 19th century as an ornamental plant.

It has spread to much of Europe and now even the USA and Canada. The plant can grow to almost 20 feet high with dinner-plate-sized leaves.

While there is no law enforcing its removal, it is an offence to plant or cause it to grow in the wild.

“We will be keeping a careful watch to ensure that there are no other plants along the riverbank and are aware of the risk to the public and will be doing everything we can to minimise that risk,” added Rick Summers.

He has appealed to people to help by watching out for any other plants.

This is the second invasive plant which the Friends of Whitcliffe are battling to clear from the common.

For the past 10 years, they have been removing areas of Himalayan Balsam – another plant first brought in by the Victorians for ornamental reasons.

Balsam can now be found on most riverbanks in Britain. Like hogweed, it is fast-growing and can crowd out native species.