FEARS over Ash dieback have stopped a community group taking over the running of a piece of woodland.

The trustees of Wychwood Wild Garden were asked to take over the long-term management of Diggers Wood, near Shipton-under- Wychwood, by its current owners The Woodland Trust.

But in a statement the group said: “The proposed lease imposed a number of liabilities on the charity which in the light of the current concerns about Ash dieback would have exposed the charity to unacceptable risks.

“We will continue to monitor the position and if an alternative approach is offered that does not involve the same level of exposure we will reconsider it.”