RESIDENTS claim their homes are being invaded by fast-growing bushes from a developer's land – cutting thousands off their own property values.
Locals have blasted the "eyesore" Japanese knotweed and claim the weed has taken over five-acres of the once "beautiful" area.
Residents have accused the landowner of not doing enough to fix the issue on the estate in Llanelli, South Wales,
Japanese knotweed can cause severe damage to buildings and infrastructure if left unchecked.
It can make it significantly harder for homeowners to secure a mortgage or sell their home.
And once the weed is established, it's so difficult to get rid of that experts treat cuttings as licensed hazardous waste.
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Neighbours now spend several hours a week cutting it back as its tendrils constantly creep into their gardens.
Resident, builder Jason Thomas, 50, said his £300k property has been devalued by "more than £30k" as a result of the pervasive knotweed bordering his detached home.
He said: "That’s if I could even sell it, which I’ve been thinking about.
"Even if someone wanted to buy it, they’d have to be a cash buyer because no bank would offer a mortgage on a property surrounded by knotweed.
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"I spend several hours every week trying to keep it at bay but I’m surrounded by the stuff."
Currently, the knotweed covers a five-acre swathe of land in the middle of a cluster of around 50 homes.
Locals fear the knotweed threat has devalued their properties by between 10 and 20 per cent.
And they claim owner of the knotweed-plagued land Richard Owen refuses to clear the menace.
Resident Gwendolyn Williams, 85, likened the invasion to 1960s sci-fi movie The Day of The Triffids.
In the film, alien plants landed on Earth and terrorised the human population.
KNOT HAPPY
She said: "I’m old enough to remember watching that film and it scared the life out of me.
"I never imagined I’d actually have to live through something similar."
Nearby retired medical secretary Cheryl Lloyd, 64, said: "When we moved here more than 10 years ago the knotweed was regularly being cleared away and the land in the middle looked like paradise.
"But in the years since then the beautiful plants and grass have been completely taken over by the knotweed and now it is an utter eyesore.
"Because the undergrowth is so dense, it attracts dozens of foxes too and they make so much noise at night it can be difficult to sleep."
The Sun Online has made repeated attempts to contact Mr Owen.
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