People on Island urged to avoid hogweed

Fri, 17 Jul 2015

People are being urged to take care on footpaths and around rivers in order to avoid contact with the hogweed plant.

The dangers of giant hogweed have been highlighted this month with a number of reports across the UK of people touching the plant and becoming severely blistered and burnt.

Andrew Willoughby is a field officer for the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture - he says giant hogweed can grow up to 12 feet in height and two feet in width.

He told us landowners also have to take responsibility: