Fife Council workers have been briefed to look out for further cases of a disease threatening to devastate the UK’s ash trees.
Two outbreaks of chalara ash dieback have been discovered in the kingdom, near Kinghorn and Cowdenbeath.
The local authority has told employees who work outside to look out for the symptoms and report any specimens they reckon have the fungal infection.
Members of the public have also been advised to report any suspicions.
The Fife sites are among 14 across Scotland where chalara has been confirmed.
Most cases are in newly planted trees, but in Kinghorn and Eyemouth mature trees in their natural environment are affected.
Council biodiversity officer Johanna Willi said: ”We are not carrying out a survey that is for the Government and the Forestry Commission but we have asked everyone to be extremely vigilant when they are out working.
”We have created a brief for all our staff about the legislation banning movement of ash and planting of new ash trees.
”We have also published information on the FifeDirect website raising awareness of ash dieback disease and created a database for any reports that come in from members of the public.”
So far only one report has been made to the local authority, but the suspected case in Markinch was a false alarm.
Johanna added: ”We don’t actually have a great deal of ash trees in Fife and those that we do have are mostly in field margins and on roadsides. There aren’t many in woodlands or in our parks.”
Ash dieback disease or chalara fraxinea causes leaf loss and crown dieback but infected trees can survive for up to 20 years. A chalara control strategy has been devised by the Scottish Government, including investigating means of slowing down the spread.
With the disease present in the natural environment, wholesale destruction of trees and woodland has been ruled out.
Fife Council has advised anyone who suspects a tree is infected to report it as soon as possible to the Forestry Commission Scotland or food and environment research agency, Fera, and to the council.
Photo by David Jones/PA Wire