A type of rust fungus could be the answer to an invasive Asian plant that is waging war on some of Britain’s riverbanks.

Himalayan balsam can erode riverbanks and grow to heights of up to three metres.

The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust said it would use a pathological rust fungus, which was found in the Himalayas, to try stunting the plant’s growth.

The trust describes the chalk rivers in Hertfordshire as the UK’s equivalent of tropical rainforests.

Josh Kalms, the people and wildlife officer at the trust, said the invasive flower “shades out native plants” which are a food source for some invertebrates.