EMERGENCY tree felling is under way in Abinger to prevent the spread of a highly contagious plant disease.
Many larch trees in an area of woodland owned by Wotton Estate will be felled to stop the spread of the Ramorum disease, a fungus-like pathogen which can damage and kill certain plants.
The Forestry Commission and the Food and Environment Research Agency have ordered the felling of "all trees that can spread the disease", and contractors are currently carrying out the work.
Matthew Woodcock, of the Forestry Commission, said: "It is very important that we identify any trees that can spread the affliction and destroy them immediately.
"We know that Ramorum is deadly to larch trees, but it can also be spread by plants such as rhododendron, so we have to act as quickly as humanly possible to stop the rot.
"The other problem is that we just don't know the extent of what exactly can be affected by Ramorum, so it's doubly important we isolate what we can and stop the disease in its tracks."
The disease is commonly known as "sudden oak death", due to the devastating effects it had on oak trees in California and Oregon in the late 1990s.
Few trees in the UK were affected until 2009, when Ramorum infected and killed large numbers of Japanese larch trees in the South West.
The Forestry Commission admits very few control mechanisms exist for the disease, and that it relies on early detection and proper disposal to stop the spread.
Mr Woodcock said: "It is important that people in Surrey stay vigilant and look out for the disease, especially as the county is the most wooded in the country.
"Unfortunately, Japanese larch is one of the most widely used commercial timber trees around, as it grows quickly and very straight.
"Therefore there is more of it around, and obviously that increases the potential for a larger outbreak. Until now, Surrey seemed mostly Ramorum-free, so we need to stop it running amock."
The disease is harmless to people and animals, however residents can help stop the spread of the disease when visiting woodland by keeping pets on leads and cleaning footwear before leaving.
For more information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk/pramorum
