A bid for funding has been submitted to tackle out-of-control toxic weeds on the river Sark and the catchment of the river Esk.

A cross-border group of councils, along with Buccleuch Estate and Galloway Fisheries Trust, has applied to the Beck Burn Community Fund for a £5,000 grant.

This is to help establish a project to rid the riverbanks of Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed.

They also want to bring more education to local schools about the dangers of such plants and get youngsters involved it tackling the issue.

Denis Male, councillor for Annandale East and Eskdale, said: “It has been ongoing for several years.

“It has been done on the rivers around Carlisle as well.

“The problem we have got here is that it is not being controlled.”

Mr Male said Himalayan balsam is destroying riverbanks and vegetation around it.

Giant hogweed can cause photosensitive skin burns and is dangerous.

He said: “It’s about trying to make it work on both sides of the border in a joined-up way.”

Councils including Cannonbie, Springfield & Gretna Green, Arthuret and Kirkadrews-on-Esk are all involved in the project, which aims to tackle the plants and bring education into schools.

The Galloway Fisheries Trust and the Esk & Liddel Improvement Association have been working on the Esk for a number of years with other agencies to try to address the issue. But Mr Male says a withdrawal of funding from Scottish Environment Protection Agency has affected the work.

Now they have collectively submitted a bid for £5,000.

Mr Male explained this would just be the start.

He said they would need between £30,000 to £40,000 in total.