Dave Williams, 42, wanted to borrow £83,000 but has been turned down after surveyors found Japanese knotweed in his flower beds. The bamboo-like weed can grow up to 3.6m (12ft) and is hard to eradicate with pesticides. It can push through concrete and damage buildings. Offi-
cials said the knotweed posed a risk to the structure of the building, which rendered it ‘unsaleable’.

‘It’s crazy. We should use some common sense,’ said MrWilliams. ‘It is an intensive weed but all I’ve got is half a dozen sticks barely 2ft high. ‘If I had a survey done in winter I would have been OK because it only comes up in spring and summer.’ The offending plant is growing on land nearby that Mr Williams bought to extend his garden. The carpenter, from St Austell, Cornwall, had hoped to borrow 20 per cent of the house
value but mortgage provider Santander refused. In a letter to the family, Santander said the property was ‘not readily saleable for owner occupation’.

Aspokesman said: ‘Due to the invasive and destructive nature of Japanese knotweed, if it is found in close proximity to the property we would need to assess whether or not a mortgage could be accepted.’ Knotweed is common in Britain after being brought over from Japan in the mid-19th century. It is immune to most natural pests and diseases. Cutting it back tends to make it grow back thicker. The cost of trying to eradicate the weed from Britain is estimated at more than £1.25billion.

But a spokesman for the Royal Horticultural Society said knotweed was a ‘nuisance’ not a ‘problem’. And a spokesman for knotweed eradication company Herpetosure said the weed could be dealt with ‘if treated properly’.  By Ross McGuinness