THEY grow up to three feet a year and can soar up to 100ft and there are 55million of them in the country.

They are the conifers that form Britain's forest of Leylandii. The trouble is, many of them are not the trimmed-down, carefully-clipped components of sub-urban boundary hedges, but the stuff of monster hedge rows between neighbours as parties complain about loss of light and blocked views and plunge into costly court battles.

Now, planning minister Richard Caborn talks of "some form of intervention" and householders may be forced to trim unruly hedges that overshadow neighbouring properties.

It will be action that comes not before time. For whatever ascetic appeal the Leylandii may have to the gardener, they should never be allowed to sow ill will.

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