Top-fruit growers have been warned they face an imminent crisis over the availability of creosote for use on wooden stakes.

The product is commonly used on stakes which support trees in orchards, but the EC is changing its regulations from 1 May to limit its availability. From that date each country would have to prove that no alternative product is available in that territory.

The Wood Protection Association has formed a task force which is submitting a dossier to the Swedish equivalent of the Health & Safety Executive.

The WPA hopes that if the Swedish decision goes its way, that can then be adopted by other EU states.