Darwen, Lancashire homeowner faces £15,000 Japanese knotweed removal bill

Data from invasive‑plant specialist Environet identified Whitehall in Darwen, Lancashire (postcode BB3 2) as the UK’s worst‑affected area for Japanese knotweed, with 92 recorded cases. The surrounding borough of Blackburn with Darwen tops the national list with 2,135 infestations.

Nathan Hannaway, 33, bought a £430,000 five‑bedroom Victorian semi in the postcode last August. Shortly after moving in, he discovered extensive knotweed in the garden and was quoted £15,000 for removal. Hannaway has launched a civil claim against the previous owner, alleging the infestation was not disclosed on the TA6 Property Information Form required by the Law Society.

Environet’s survey found the plant growing in three separate garden areas, and the dispute highlights the financial and legal risks of hidden invasive‑species problems in UK property transactions.