ALIENS

Invasion of the alien knotweed! Despairing family can’t sell home – because of monster next door that grows eight inches a day, damages foundations and grows through brickwork
Japanese knotweed has shattered dreams of Nasreen and Sajid Akhtar who can not sell Birmingham home
Nextdoor neighbour’s knotweed threatens their home’s foundations and is notoriously expensive to clear
Weed must be sprayed with herbicides for three years before disposal, the Environment Agency advises
Mortgage companies won’t lend for properties with knotweed because of the danger it poses to the home