GUESTS at a "pulling party" in Callow End will be provided with protective gloves and black bags.

It is hoped parishioners will flock to the Old Hills for the party, which will include a barbecue.

The unusual event has been suggested by Ian Rowat, director of Malvern Hills Conservators, as a way of controlling the spread of ragwort, a notifiable weed that can be lethal to animals.

In answer to the concerns of Powick Parish Council about the appearance of ragwort at Old Hills, Mr Rowat said that spraying the weed could affect other plants and that it would be much better to pull it up and remove it from the site.

To relieve the boredom of the task, he suggested that it should be turned into a community event, organised by wardens and local Conservators at the start of August next year.

The Conservators would provide protective gloves, black bags, soap and water for washing, and charcoal for the barbecue.

"I think if we did a sweep of Old Hills removing ragwort in this way we would reduce the amount of spread of the plant," wrote Mr Rowat in a letter to the parish council.

Members welcomed the suggestion at this week's meeting, agreeing that it would be a start in the fight against ragwort in the parish, although it would not address the problem in Powick.

"It's an exceedingly serious thing, far more serious than I first thought," said Mrs Brenda Boaler, who first raised the issue.

"The reason I brought it up was because nothing was being done about it. I reckon it has spread into our area from Pinns Green."

The parish councillors agreed that Worcestershire County Council, which is responsible for the maintenance of the village's road verges, should be asked to spray the ragwort and that landowners should be alerted to the dangers through an article in the council's next newsletter.

Mr John West suggested the spread of Japanese knotweed, which is also a notifiable weed, should be dealt with at the same time.

"Do we also get a barbecue with Japanese knotweed?" asked the council chairman, Mrs Helen Jepson.