While ivy might look pretty, it can lead to damage if its vines spread up trees, buildings, walls, and fences.

One gardening fanatic took to the Facebook group Gardening UK to ask for advice on removing the plant, after it had overtaken his garden fence.

He wrote: “What’s the best thing to kill ivy, need to get rid of in on fence and boundary walls?”

When ivy starts to climb up a fence, it can be a big problem, and it’s vital to get this under control before roots grow larger and embed themselves deeper into the wood.

If left untreated the wood surrounding the roots can begin to rot and decay.

Responding to David’s cry for help, some green-fingered fans suggested pouring boiling water over the ivy, while others argued that this wouldn’t work as it doesn’t actually kill the plant, meaning it will just return again and again.

These gardeners stressed the importance of cutting the branches at the root before digging the plant up.

One wrote: “Cut it off at the base, pull as much off as you can and the rest will die off. Then you need to dig up the roots. It’s the only way to get rid of this plant forever.”

While another added: “You gotta chop it at the base, and chop pieces out of the growing part. It will die off eventually but this is the only way to kill it, then pull off all the bits that die off.”

“Cut at the bottom, let the branches die and then pull off (preferably in September or later due to birds nesting),” penned a third.

“To actually stop it from coming back, dig dig dig, the roots spread and you’ll likely pull up ivy shoots for years, but small shoots are easily managed.”

And a fourth advised: “Cut it at the base, dig out the root and the ivy on the fence will permanently die pretty quickly and never come back.