THE Country Landowners’ Association (CLA) is urging the public to ensure they buy ash trees from reputable UK suppliers in a bid to combat a new outbreak of a highly destructive tree disease in the region.

Chalara dieback of ash is a serious ash tree disease caused by a fungus called Chalara fraxinea (C. fraxinea).

The disease causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees, and it can lead to the tree’s death.

Ash trees suffering C. fraxinea have been found widely across Europe but the disease was unknown in this country until recently.

The first cases were confirmed earlier this year on ash plants which had been imported from the Netherlands. Since then, more infected plants have been confirmed in nurseries in West and South Yorkshire and in plantings of young ash trees at four sites including a college campus in South Yorkshire, and a property in County Durham.

CLA North regional director Dorothy Fairburn said: “We are asking people to make a concerted effort to ensure that this disease does not take a hold in the UK.

“Reputable nurseries will have had a plant health inspection of ash stocks in recent weeks so we are encouraging customers to make sure they only buy ash trees from trusted suppliers.”

Richard Padgett, manager of Thorpe Trees, near York, said: “We are advising buyers to check carefully where any ash they purchase comes from. If it is imported from Europe, we are strongly advising not to plant it at this stage. UKsourced and grown ash should be fine and no other species are a problem at this stage.