by Megan Henderson
Giant hogweed is spreading through the UK and can cause serious burns and blisters
The parents of a seven-year-old boy left permanently scarred for life after coming into contact with giant hogweed during a caravan holiday have taken their battle to seek damages to court.
The unnamed child was left with painful burns on his upper body, arms and feet a chest as a result of coming into contact with the toxic weed which is currently growing in epic proportions across the nation.
The incident, which took place several years ago, occurred after the child played amongst several wild giant hogweed plants which were growing in the caravan park by a pond, in complete oblivion to the danger the wild plants can present.
Two days later he woke up with severe blisters and, as his blisters became more severe, his mother took him to the GP, who thought the boy had been in contact with a dangerous chemical substance.
The National Chemical Emergency Center was contacted, and the boy was subsequently diagnosed with giant hogweed burn. the local council determined that the holiday park was infected with giant hogweed and had the plant was removed.
Sarah Cunliffe, the family’s solicitor from Access Legal, said: “It is an offence to plant or cause hogweed to grow, in the wild, and it’s possible to claim for your injury if it is found that the land owner or local authority has failed to take appropriate action to protect you.”
According to Cunliffe there has been a rise in cases related to hogweed in recent years, but parents must also be aware how dangerous hogweed is to themselves and their children.
Enabling giant hogweed to grow became an offence in the UK in 1981 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Giant hogweed can grow up to six metres tall with leaves up to one and a half metres wide. The plant can also be mistaken for cow parsley as the two are closely related.
Giant Hogweed can grow nearly anywhere, but most often grows along rivers or canals. The plant usually starts popping up in the summer months throughout the UK.
The toxic chemicals the plant contains can cause burns and blistering through toxins contained within the leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and seeds. The burns can last for months and there have been some reports that the affected area of skin can still be sensitive to sunlight for years after contact.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), local authorities do have power to require that giant hogweed be removed under some circumstances.
The RHS warns that anyone removing Giant Hogweed should wear gloves, a face mask, and be sure to cover arms and legs. The tools and clothing used when removing Hogweed could also be dangerous to touch. Anyone who comes into bodily contact with hogweed should wash the area in question immediately.
The growth of giant hogweed continues to sweep across the UK. In an area around the lower Findhorn River in north-east Scotland, the wild plant has grown so extensively a drone had to be flown to photograph just how much had to be removed. The Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries Trust used this method in an attempt to protect river users and plant species, as giant hogweed often overruns the local plant life.
Trust director Robert Laughton said: “It is a big problem plant and a very dominant species which will choke out more native plants from the river. Only slow progress has been made in clearing the invader but the drone survey had revealed its true scale.”
For more information on Giant Hogweed, click here.
