'My nightmare home is infested by monster that costs £800 a time to treat'

04 September 2023 , 22:06

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Frustrated pensioner Richard Pember has described the 'monster' weed that has ravaged his garden over the past seven years (Image: Richard Pember/Liverpool Echo)

A pensioner has described the nightmare infestation of his home by a "monster" weed. Richard Pember, of Pontypridd, Wales, purchased his property 11 years ago but now fears its value may have reduced dramatically due to an aggressive Japanese knotweed.

The weed, which can which can grow up to a staggering seven metres every year - has spread rapidly across his garden since he first spotted it in 2016. The infestation, which is believed to have originated from a railway line behind the 74-year old's house, has since grown by more than 20m.

He told the Liverpool Echo: "It started off so small that I didn’t think anything of it. Then it just grew from nowhere to a point where it was almost coming inside the property. You hear stories about this stuff completely taking over homes and I was terrified that might happen to mine.

"It has massively devalued the house in my opinion because nobody wants to move into a property that has a Japanese knotweed infestation. It’s like living with a monster that always comes back."

Concerned for the future of the property, Mr Pember has now decided to take legal action against Transport for Wales (TFW). TFW is the railway board responsible for the land where the infestation originated.

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Japanese knotweed, which can grow 7m a year has infested the garden (Richard Pember/Liverpool Echo)

Pontypridd County Court heard in May that TFW had failed to adequately treat the growth, which led to the eventual intrusion onto the property. A judge subsequently ordered the body to pay £10,000 in damages to Mr Pember, who is currently living in Rhondda Valley while his son rents the troubled property.

He continued: He said: "Transport for Wales knew about the Japanese Knotweed for a long time, and they should have carried on treating it, but now it is taking over the entire area. When it began coming closer to the house, I was worried because I thought it was definitely coming inside. My son has since had the garden renovated, but it has already started coming back and it might not go away for years.

"The Japanese Knotweed has left destruction in its path to the point where a graveyard local to the property is completely covered in it. You can’t even see the gravestones anymore which is really sad."

TFW, meanwhile, maintained it "has a thorough and effective treatment programme in place across the whole of the Core Valley Lines network", refusing that a treatment was missed. It decided not to appeal the judge's decision, however.

Continuing to battle with the weed, Mr Pember describes the infestation as a "never-ending monster", which costs around £800 per treatment. He added: "My message to others who might have a similar Japanese Knotweed infestation is, get it sorted quickly otherwise you’ll pay the price. Also, if you’re about to buy a house, make sure it’s not there to begin with."

A spokesperson for Transport for Wales said: "TFW is naturally disappointed with this court result given the facts as presented to the court. TFW has categorically not failed in treating the Japanese knotweed on its land and has a thorough and effective treatment programme in place across the whole of the Core Valley Lines network where this property neighbours.

"In this instance the court found for the claimant on the tenuous basis of a single missing documentary record. Neither TFW nor Network Rail (from whom Transport for Wales purchased the Core Valley Lines on 28 March 2020) accept that a treatment itself was missed. An appeal was considered but on this occasion was not pursued."

Representing Mr Pember, Angelus Law director Tom Hardwick said: "We are delighted with the successful outcome of Mr Pember's case. The victory showcases the importance of holding responsible parties accountable for their obligations to prevent the spread of such destructive plants."

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