A NEW weapon in the fight against Japanese knotweed has been unveiled by a Radcliffe firm.

Bosses from Japanese Knotweed Solutions, based in Melton Street, have come up with the “MeshTech” strategy to tackle the problem.

Mike Clough, managing director, explained that the weed is trained to grow through mesh which severes the new growth.

He added: “The result of this continued unfulfilled growth is the rapid depletion of the plant’s energy stores beneath the ground. Once the plant’s energy stores have been exhausted the plant will die, typically three to five years after initial application.”