A HOMEOWNER blighted by eight foot overhanging trees and the notorious Japanese knotweed from a neighbouring Sale park is fighting for action to be taken.

Tom Fleming has been toing and froing with the council to cut back trees that are invading his properties from Worthington Park for more than a year.

The retired builder owns three properties in Cheltenham Drive, two of which sit adjacent to the park. He lives in one and rents out the others.

After his requests for the trees to be cut back last summer went unanswered, he took matters into his own hands and cut back the branches, which were blocking the path to the side of the rented house, blocking light to the home and overshadowing the garden.

“I had no responses to my inquiries in 2015,” said Tom. “When I got in touch with them they just palmed me off saying they would inspect it within six weeks – but six weeks went by and nothing was ever done.”

A year has passed and Tom said it is as bad as ever. The branches of the trees reach into the garden of the rented property by about six to eight foot.

Once again, Tom contacted the council but was told that pruning would only be taken if the trees were deemed, ‘dead, dying or dangerous’.

Now, Tom said that the notorious Japanese knotweed is growing in the park and creeping on to his grounds.

Japanese knotweed can grow through concrete and asphalt and its roots can be up to three metres deep. It can cause huge headaches for homeowners as it can wipe thousands off the property value.

Tom cut back the plant back after he spotted its leaves had shot up above the hedges but the within a week, it was back to the state it was before.

He contacted Trafford Council and was told that it would be sprayed twice a year.

He said: “It could come up through my kitchen floor in the next couple of weeks. They will pay if it does come through. This is so serious, they have to deal with this immediately and get rid of it, no question about it. It is ridiculous how they are treating us.”

A OneTrafford spokesman said: “The partnership delivers environmental and infrastructure services across the borough, including weed treatment on the 800km of road and 17,000km footway networks we look after.

“In addition to this we also carry out specific treatments to Japanese knotweed when identified in the borough.

“The optimal time to treat knotweed is in the summer when the plant is in flower. Treatments are taking place and Cheltenham Drive is included in the weed spray programme.”