Horse owner Kate Tompkins is worried the spread of ragwort weed could pose a threat to her animals.

Mrs Tompkins keeps three horses at her home in Fulwell Road, Finmere, near Bicester, and is afraid that ragwort growing on verges and at a nearby quarry could have a devestating effect.

She said: "If horses eat ragwort they can die. There is a lot of ragwort at the quarry and on the roadside. Ragwort in flower should be cut down."

She added: "Ragwort is more dangerous to horses than sheep or cattle."

Cherwell District Council's landscape services manager Jeremy Sacha said: "We can only advise people and landowners about the dangers of ragwort."

Mr Sacha added that if the council was notified of outbreaks, they would contact landowners, who could take action.

Some work to eradicate ragwort has been undertaken by Oxfordshire County Council highways department.

Colin Carritt, highways area engineer based in Bicester, said:

" I can imagine there might be a problem at Finmere outside the quarry because a few years ago there were major roadworks in the area to build the Tingewick by-pass. When the ground is disturbed for roadworks, seeds that have been dormant for decades start to grow."