Invasive species have cost UK at least £5bn since 1970s, study reveals

Financial burden of alien' animals and plants such as Japanese knotweed and European rabbit is rising, researchers warn

Invasive species such as the grey squirrel, Japanese knotweed and the European rabbit have cost the UK economy at least 5bn since the mid 1970s, according to research.

Ecosystem-altering plants and animals that wipe out native wildlife, often introduced by humans, have cost the country at least 122m a year on average since 1976, causing structural damage to buildings, clogging waterways and ruining crops.