# Mountain bike venue ragwort



## case895 (11 August 2012)

Anyone else watching the mountain biking? The venue is absolutely infested with ragwort. Hardly a good example to be setting is it?


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## millimoo (11 August 2012)

Ha ha ... Just watching now, and saw the ariel shot and thought exactly the same thing.
Not good


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## Doris68 (11 August 2012)

Ooooo - you beat me to it!  I couldn't believe the amount of ragwort around the course...not good.


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## Capriole (11 August 2012)

I havent seen it but it doesnt sound good!  Hopefully many of those watching will just think, look at the pretty flowers!


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## Crazy_cat_lady (11 August 2012)

Ive also seen it! The mountain biking looks so tiring but would like to have a go at some of it just not the hills!


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## Double_choc_lab (11 August 2012)

Just switched it on and thought exactly the same.


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## Ibblebibble (11 August 2012)

lol aren't we sad, it was the first thing i noticed !! don't think it's poisonous to bikes though


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## JCWHITE (11 August 2012)

Not sure how we came to watch this sport, but we enjoyed seeing the challenge
The venue reminds us a lot of tracks around our local area, no wonder the winner was a French lady!
But YES, outraged as to why there was so much ragwort, pictures being beamed live around the world?
Will welcome an answer!


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## dsykes (11 August 2012)

I thought exactly the same ! Disgraceful . Just imagine the claims when its realised that it can be harmful to humans .


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## hairycob (11 August 2012)

Don't worry the bikes won't eat it!


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## lachlanandmarcus (11 August 2012)

They arent committing any offence unless it is close to grazing livestock  or being harvested for hay, sadly. Perhaps its part of their wildflower meadow...:-O


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## Goldenstar (11 August 2012)

And do remember those cinnabar moths.


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## CorvusCorax (11 August 2012)

I noticed as well and the non-horsey person I was with didn't have a clue what I was on about, and why would he


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## jaynec (11 August 2012)

It is owned by the salvation army and cattle DO graze close by!! Dreadful..


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## Ibblebibble (11 August 2012)

the cattle will be beefburgers long before they suffer any effects if the eat ragwort that's why farmers are more lax about it than most horse owners,


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## meandmyself (11 August 2012)

There's a few places around here much worse than that! I think they're farming it in some places.


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## Honey08 (11 August 2012)

Its becoming the new national flower of England!  Its everywhere in this country - virtually alongside and on the central reservation of every motorway and A road in the country.  Someone probably just thought it looked pretty having "wild flowers" around!


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## ragwortsense (12 August 2012)

As soon as I saw the ragwort I thought they'd be people complaining.

London 2012 was billed as the greenest Olympics ever so I was delighted that the organisers respected biodiversity rather than yielding to ill-informed prejudice.

Why have we not seen complaints about dock, or oak trees or horse chestnuts?

Or comfrey that contains the same poisons as ragwort?


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## Alec Swan (12 August 2012)

lachlanandmarcus said:



			They arent committing any offence unless it is close to grazing livestock  or being harvested for hay, sadly. ..........:-O
		
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That's not so.  There is an enforceable requirement that ragwort be removed and/or destroyed.   The law is ignored because we are nationally,  at infestation levels.  The cost to the tax payer to clear our motorway embankments,  alone,  would be astronomic.  I don't know what the answer is.

Alec.


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## Armas (12 August 2012)

ragwortsense said:



			As soon as I saw the ragwort I thought they'd be people complaining.

London 2012 was billed as the greenest Olympics ever so I was delighted that the organisers respected biodiversity rather than yielding to ill-informed prejudice.

Why have we not seen complaints about dock, or oak trees or horse chestnuts?

Or comfrey that contains the same poisons as ragwort?
		
Click to expand...

Oh here we go just wating for the Dutch to join in


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## ragwortsense (12 August 2012)

Alec Swan said:



			That's not so.  There is an enforceable requirement that ragwort be removed and/or destroyed.Alec.
		
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Do please give a link because the DEFRA Code of Practice that most people here seem to want to ignore says nothing of the kind.


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## Capriole (12 August 2012)

Armas said:



			Oh here we go just wating for the Dutch to join in 

Click to expand...

.


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## ester (12 August 2012)

there's a couple of fields by the A303 near stonehenge where you can see nothing but ragwort!.. 

ragwortsense, in the interests of biodiversity can you explain why you are at all worried. There is lots of ragwort.. everywhere, and, lots of cinnabar moths . I do however wonder where in some instances where the ragwort really is rife it is actually reducing the biodiversity in the locality of other plants.


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## meandmyself (12 August 2012)

ragwortsense said:



			As soon as I saw the ragwort I thought they'd be people complaining.

London 2012 was billed as the greenest Olympics ever so I was delighted that the organisers respected biodiversity rather than yielding to ill-informed prejudice.

Why have we not seen complaints about dock, or oak trees or horse chestnuts?

Or comfrey that contains the same poisons as ragwort?
		
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Are you being serious? 

Oak/horse chestnut trees grow much more slowly than ragwort, and at least they're useful. 

Ragwort is vile, stinks and does lots of damage. It's endemic. 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/wildlife-management/weeds-act-1959/


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## Alec Swan (12 August 2012)

ragwortsense said:



			Do please give a link because the DEFRA Code of Practice that most people here seem to want to ignore says nothing of the kind.
		
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I'll do my best to source the relevant legislation,  but in the mean time perhaps you'd like to consider that there's a world of difference,  between a "Code of Practice",  which is a voluntary suggestion,  and Law,  which is enforceable by non compliance.  I farm and I know the difference. 

Alec.


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## Alec Swan (12 August 2012)

I stand corrected,  _in part!_

I've found the relevant act,  which is (with luck) attached to this post.  There is,  you will see,  provision for an Order too be made.  I'm not too sure that one has ever been issued,  so it's probably a bit pointless.

_Information on Ragwort in the UK from a scientific perspective

Ragwort and the Law The Weeds Act 1959

Ragwort is mentioned in the Weeds Act 1959. This is what the Act says

"(1) Where the minister of Agriculture fish and food (in this act referred to as ' the Minister') is satisfied that there are injurious weeds to which this act applies growing upon any land he may serve upon the occupier of the land a notice, to take such action as may be necessary to prevent the weeds from spreading.

(2)This act applies to the following injurious weeds, that is to say-

spear thistle

creeping or field thistle

broad leaved dock

ragwort"



It is a piece of legislation that provides for AN ORDER to be made. _

Would you settle for a compromise? 

In my opinion,  ragwort is as prevalent as it is,  in the main because of 10 years of drought,  and because of high beef and lamb prices,  and a monstrous level of over grazing.  

Just as the now endemic and exploding population of the plant has now taken over our lives,  so its eventual disappearance may be just as difficult to explain.  I've used sprays,  pulled the plant,  and it's only ever a temporary respite.  The only way which is guaranteed to keep land free of the weed,  is with sheep.

Alec.


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## ragwortsense (12 August 2012)

meandmyself said:



			Are you being serious?
		
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Perfectly. Dock is also in the 1959 Weeds Act but we never read the sort of things we read about ragwort.

And last year, a horse died after being left tied to a horse chestnut tree.


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## ester (12 August 2012)

what's the last sentence got to do with anything!  

you haven't answered my query as to why you are worried. I don't think docks get any better rep than ragwort.. or buttercups for that matter both get sprayed aplenty.


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## hairycob (12 August 2012)

Ragwortsense - dogs die if left in cars on hot days. What do you recommend?
1) We ban cars
2) We ban hot days
3) we ban dogs
4) We use common sense & don't leave dogs in cars.


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## meandmyself (12 August 2012)

ragwortsense said:



			Perfectly. Dock is also in the 1959 Weeds Act but we never read the sort of things we read about ragwort.

And last year, a horse died after being left tied to a horse chestnut tree.
		
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I've also never heard of Dock killing a horse. 

-Why- are you so keen on keeping it?


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## Alec Swan (12 August 2012)

ragwortsense said:



			Perfectly. Dock is also in the 1959 Weeds Act but we never read the sort of things we read about ragwort.

.......
		
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No,  and you wont do.  Ragwort kills horses,  Docks don't.

Alec.


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## ester (12 August 2012)

I still want to know why the concern


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