Muddy boots alert to save forest trees

Walkers in the Forest of Dean are being warned to clean their muddy boots after tens of thousands of trees were felled because of a disease.

Forestry England said the fungallike organism Phytophthora ramorum had led to 56,000 native larch trees being chopped down in the past five years in the Gloucestershire woodland.

Tom Brockington, the forest operations manager, said measures such as cleaning boots after a walk were vital to stop the spread of the disease. “The same goes for dog paws, baby buggies and bike tyres with mud on them,” he added.

“Having to fell trees before they reach maturity because of disease is always a sad sight.”

Symptoms of the disease include areas of black “bleeding” on the trunk and withered and blackened leaves or needles. It can be spread in a variety of ways including from contaminated soils, water and on the wind.*