Home-owner's warning after neighbour's bamboo plant causes £100,000 worth of damage

3 February 2022, 13:14

Environet UK clip shows major bamboo infestation

By Heart

@thisisheart

A bamboo plant planted in a garden in Hampshire caused £100,000 worth of damage to their neighbour's home.

The public have been issued an urgent warning after a home-owner had £100,000 worth of damage done to their house by a neighbour's bamboo plant.

Bamboo was planted at the border hedge between the houses, but it was apparently left unmonitored and grew unchecked as a result.

The roots of the plant ended up growing underneath the neighbour's home, and finally broke through their concrete floor.

The bamboo continued to grow along their cavity walls, and it would have forced the walls apart if it had been left to continue.

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The entire ground floor of the home had to be dug up to stop the bamboo, and hundreds of metres of the plant was removed.

As reported by the Express, the home insurance claim for the damage was apparently more than £100,000.

The roots of bamboo can grow 10 metres, and they are able to break through walls, bricks, and patios.

Founder and MD of Environet UK, Nic Seal, said: "Through no fault of their own, the homeowners have suffered significant financial cost, stress and inconvenience, being required to vacate their home for several months.

"The truth is, most bamboos are invasive if planted directly into the ground and left to their own devices."

He added that the Hampsire home was the "worst case of bamboo encroachment" he'd ever seen in this country.