GARDNENERS could soon be forced to weed their gardens by hand if Brussels bureaucrats ban a chemical found in the biggest selling weed-killers.

Farming output could fall by nearly £1 billion and councils would need to find an additional £228 million to tackle weeds if glyphosate is outlawed by the EU, experts predict.

For more than 40 years glyphosate has been the key component of weedkillers such as Roundup which tackle menaces including knotweed, hogweed, bindweed and black grass.

But over recent years a campaign by the green lobby to get it banned has gathered strength, despite it being certified as safe by numerous chemical and food safety agencies.

The European Commission’s Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed is due to vote on October 23 whether to renew glyphosate’s licence. It has backing from France and a number of other member states.

Experts fear the committee will back a ban and, with no other viable alternative to glysophate available, researchers predict a huge financial impact if a ban comes into force.

A report this summer by Oxford Economics estimated UK farming output will fall by nearly £940m, causing tax reveunes to fall by £193m – enough for 7,000 nurses.

A ban would also land councils with an estimated £228m bill for the increased cost of tackling roadside weeds, it is predicted.

Sarah Mukherjee, Chief Executive of the Crop Protection Association (CPA), said she was struggling to understand the rationale behind a ban on a chemical which is considered safe.

She added: “Every independent scientific study into glyphosate has found it is safe for consumers, including the EU’s own European Chemicals Agency and European Food Safety Authority.”