Ash dieback and beetle attack likely to 'wipe out' ash trees in UK and Europe

A double whammy of an emerald borer beetle and the fungus causing ash dieback disease could kill millions of ash trees on the continent, study warns

Almost all the ash trees in the UK and across Europe are likely to be wiped out by a "double whammy" of a bright green borer beetle and the fungus that causes ash dieback, according to a comprehensive new academic analysis.

The loss of the ash, one of the most abundant tree species in the UK, would mean losing even more trees than the 15 million elms killed by Dutch elm disease in the 1970s. Ash is the most common hedgerow tree, with 60,000 miles of tree lines. It is the second most common tree in woodland, after the oak, and there are many ash trees in towns and cities.