British woodlands have been given the “all clear” after a sweeping Forestry Commission survey to ascertain whether any were infected with the potentially lethal Phytophthora ramorum.
The survey – the largest and swiftest of its kind – took in 1,000 woodland sites across England, Scotland and Wales after the first cases of the disease were reported in Sussex and Cornwall late last year.
Forestry minister Ben Bradshaw said: “The survey gives us good grounds for optimism and reinforces my belief that we must take positive action to deal with this threat to our trees wherever it is found.”
