There are fears a deadly plant growing "like a wildfire" at the side of a busy road could soon invade gardens if urgent action is not taken.

Hemlock, which can prove fatal if eaten by humans, has been rapidly spreading near the Western Link roundabout on the A2 London Road, Ospringe, near Faversham.

Growing up to eight feet in some cases, it resembles other plants from the parsley family. It has hairless hollow stalks with purple blotches.

The poisonous plant can kill an adult in less than three hours by disrupting the central nervous system, causing respiratory collapse.

But it is not something Highways England currently treats because it is "only toxic if ingested".

Ospringe resident Graham Elvy, 70, has been voluntarily clearing hemlock near the Western Link roundabout.

"If you don’t stop it - it may even be too late now - it is so aggressive and it just goes everywhere," he said.

"They are quite a challenge to get rid of but it’s not really working because nobody else seems to be doing anything and they are spreading all over the place."

He first spotted the plant about eight years ago and has contacted the authorities since, demanding they take action.

And an increasing amount of the plant has popped up over the years, which can now be seen on the Boughton Bypass and in London Road near Sittingbourne.

But he has not had a response from the council and now fears the issue will only escalate - with concerns it could even spread to properties and children's play areas.

"Anyone who has a house near it is at risk of it popping up in their garden,” he said.

"The real issue is that people probably don’t realise what it is."

In one incident, Mr Elvy had to warn an unsuspecting woman who was picking the plant for a flower arrangement what it was.

He has also witnessed two children playing with the plant, using huge stems of it as swords.

Highways England maintenance service manager Matthew Salt said: "We are committed to improving the biodiversity performance of England's motorways and major A roads and manage around 30,000 hectares of green space across the country.

“Hemlock is not something that Highways England currently treats. It is a naturalised plant in the UK, and only toxic if ingested.”

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