News Castle party


‘spectacular’ SO the weather could have been better, but Leeds Castle’s 900th birthday carnivalwas spectacular. Themain event – theCarnival of


History – tracked the landmark’s since its creation, with colourful characters


from across the


decades. Former castle bossVictoriaWal-


lace posted on Twitter: “What a brilliant day. FromBishopOdo to Bhangra, communities celebrating the castle’s 900th birthday. A real treat.” Coming at the start of the school


summer holidays, mum Kerry Hitch said: “It was an excellent event. Thank you to everyone in- volved, especially all the living history re-enactors who were so generous with their time explain- ing things tomy children.” A spokesman for Leeds Castle


thanked visitors, performers, re- enactors, partners and organisers for bringing theweekend’sCarni- val ofHistory to life. She said: “Al- though the weather wasn’t great on Saturday, we had a fantastic turn out for the event on both days – around 9,000 people.”


downsmail.co.uk


Call to lift controls on weeds to helpwildlife


CONTROLS on harmful weeds should be lifted to give pollina- tors a fighting chance, says a con- servationist inMaidstone. LouseButfoy(24), ishopingtoget


the Government to repeal the law that enforces controls on five of the nation’s injuriousweeds,which in- clude ragwort. The former Sutton Valence School pupil (right) says advances in farming and “exagger- ated” claims about the danger posedbysuchcontrolledweeds are leading to a “sterile” environment that threatensdecliningpollinators. TheCranbourneAvenue resident


studied wildlife conservation at HadlowCollege andnowworkson environmental aspects of emer- gency planning at Kent County Council. Butwhilemore than 5,000 people have signed her online peti- tion, not everyone agrees. The British Horse Society (BHS)


warns ragwort is a killer, even if it is dried andmixedwith hay. TheWeedsActwas introducedin


Picture: Tony Harwood


1959 to control broad-leaved dock, common ragwort, creeping thistle, curled dock and spear thistle – all prolific seeders and potentially harmful to livestock. Landowners face a fine if theydo


not controlweeds. Miss Butfoy said: “Dock leaves


are used as a natural treatment for stings and can be eaten in salads.


“Ragwort is potentially danger-


ous to animals, but most would need to eat vast quantities of the dried plant for it to have an effect.” Weeds canbe a richsourceofnec-


tar, she argues. British Horse Society spokesman


Emmeline Hannelly said: “We recognise the vital role ragwort plays in biodiversity andwe do not advocate blanket removal of the plant, it is however toxic to grazing animals and we strongly recom- mend that it is removed fromareas within50metresofhorses, livestock or landusedfor forageproduction.” AKentWildlifeTrust spokesman


said: “With ongoing threats to our pollinators fromlack of food, habi- tat and effects of pesticide use, the wholesale and indiscriminate re- movalof essentialnectar andpollen sources should be prevented as much as possible.” Find Miss Butfoy’s petition at


www.petition.parliament.uk/peti- tions/266743.


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