Residents urged to contact Forestry Commission

The Council is working with industry advisors, including the Forestry Commission and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), who are researching the Ash Dieback disease and co-ordinating an action plan to deal with the disease locally.

Enfield Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Chris Bond, said: "Our arboricultural officers have started assessing Ash trees on council land in Enfield and so far we're pleased they have not identified any infected specimens.

"If we find infected trees we will consider instructions from the industry regarding their management.

"Any resident who is concerned about a tree in the borough should notify the Forestry Commissioner for advice. Please do not take samples from the tree because this could transfer fungal spores across the borough and spread Ash Dieback disease."

There are several key signs to look out for which can help to identify Ash Dieback:

• Blackened, dead leaves – may look a bit like frost damage.
• Dark lesions – often long, thin and diamond-shaped – appear on the trunk around the base of dead shoots.
• The tips of shoots become black and shrivelled.
• The veins of leaves, normally pale in colour, turn brown.
• In mature trees, dieback of twigs and branches in the crown, often with bushy growth further down the branches where new shoots have been produced.

In autumn and winter, native ash trees will naturally be shedding their leaves making it very difficult to identify Ash Dieback. All of these symptoms can also be caused by other problems, so final diagnosis should be made by an expert which is why it is important to contact the Council or the Forestry Commission before taking action.

Residents can find out more on the Forestry Commission Website: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara