A CAMPAIGN to rid the verges of Worcestershire's roads of a killer weed has been backed by the British Horse Society.

The bright yellow flowers of ragwort may look attractive but they carry a deadly threat to wildlife.

The Highways Agency has pledged to tackle the "killer in the verge" during a clean-up week which aims to eradicate the plant.

Each year, the agency spends about £1m to help combat the spread of ragwort along the 5,841 miles of trunk roads and motorways it operates in England.

"Ragwort is a perennial problem for us, but as the Highways Agency is concerned for the welfare of grazing animals that might be affected by the seeds, we take regular action to control," said the Highways Agency's environmental policy adviser Tony Sangwine.

"In addition to looking at the problem on our roads, we encourage adjoining landowners to remove ragwort from their land so as to try and prevent invasion."

Nicola Gregory, head of public relations for the British Horse Society, welcomed the campaign.

"As the number of reported animal deaths from ragwort poisoning increases year on year, it is vital that we stop it spreading in order to prevent this noxious weed from seeding into hay fields," she said.