Giant hogweed warning: Woman left 'unable to move' after making contact with dangerous plant

The graphic design student’s brush with a giant hogweed made walking an agony.

Sabine came into contact with the toxic plant sap while walking her dogs on a riverside in Stratford-upon-Avon in July 2021.

The 28-year-old was “absolutely fine” when she went to bed.

However, Sabine claimed she “couldn’t physically move” when she woke up with an “annoying pain”.

The student’s fingers swelled and her hand had “blown up and was bright red”.

Sabine was rushed to A&E and medical experts at Birmingham Hospital asked if someone poured acid onto her hand.

She said: “I’d been walking the dogs the day before so I think I must have come into contact with it there and then touched my face. It was blistering. I was in a lot of pain.”

Sabine was unable to walk for a fortnight as she remained in hospital for more than a month.

She was forced to rely on a mobility scooter for six months.

Stratford-upon-Avon District Council looked to pinpoint the exact location of the giant hogweed.

A spokesperson said at the time: “The District Council does treat specific locations in this area in May and June – but not sure if this is the same location.

“The treatment of giant hogweed has been ongoing since 2010 and is done twice a year.

“The initial information received was that it would take seven years, but we are continuing with the treatment as we are getting new seeding from land upstream that is not treated.

“We check regularly for new areas and add these to the treatment program.

“We will get our weed control specialist to take a look at the area and will look at the possibility of arranging some signage in the area.”