WORK to remove diseased trees in Barry began this week, and will take “several weeks”.

Trees in Mill Wood and Cwm-Ciddy which are infected with the highly destructive disease ash dieback are being cut down, with work beginning on Monday, January 17.

Vale of Glamorgan Council shared the news on social media, writing: “Work will begin felling diseased ash trees from January 17.

“The work will take place in Mill Wood and Cwm-Ciddy for several weeks.

“The felled trees are infected with ash dieback and pose a risk to users of the parks main access roads and footpaths.”

The council has been contacted to ask for a more precise timescale for the work.

What is ash dieback?

Ash dieback is a fungus which originated in Asia – in its native home it doesn’t cause much damage, but in the UK and Europe it has impacted ash trees because the trees do not have a natural defence against it.

According to Woodland Trust ash dieback presents a major threat to the UK’s treescape, with it likely to wipe out at least 80 per cent of ash trees in the UK.

According to the Trust: “The fungus overwinters in leaf litter on the ground, particularly on ash leaf stalks. It produces small white fruiting bodies between July and October which release spores into the surrounding atmosphere.

“These spores can blow tens of miles away. They land on leaves, stick to and then penetrate into the leaf and beyond. The fungus then grows inside the tree, eventually blocking its water transport systems, causing it to die.

“The tree can fight back, but year-on-year infections will eventually kill it.”

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