Couple sue pensioner over Japanese knotweed

A couple are suing a pensioner they bought a luxury seaside house from in a row over Japanese knotweed.

Rosemary Line, 74, has been taken to the civil court by Adam and Eleanor Smith in a dispute over the invasive weed, with each side blaming the other for spreading it.

The Smiths, both 43, bought their three-bed detached home, near Falmouth, Cornwall, from Mrs Line for £200,000 in 2002, though the vendor retained some land alongside the house. Now the weed appears to be growing on both pieces of land,

The couple claim the knotweed has reduced the value of their home, now estimated at £500,000, by 10 per cent.