IT’S like something from science fiction.

A giant silken web is slowly swallowing up a large part of John Morris’ Golcar garden. and he and wife Jackie are powerless to stop the spread.

But now gardening experts have managed to identify the problem and given the couple ideas on how to tackle it.

It is believed to be the work of the Hawthorn Webber moth, which devours plants like cotoneaster.

The spectacle is a big attraction for people near the Morris family home in Station Road.

Each day, many of them call in to see how far the grey silken shroud has spread.

It has already coated several shrubs, part of Mrs Morris’ washing line and the fence.

Mr Morris said: “It has slowly taken over a large part of the garden.

“We thought at first it was a spider’s cobweb but it quickly grew very big and is more like wool than silk.

“Now it covers the whole of some of the shrubs and is covered in thousands of tiny caterpillars.

“We have lived here for 29 years and this is the first time I have ever seen anything like it.

“Some of my neighbours are keen gardeners but they too are baffled by what is causing it. It looks like a grey sheet has been thrown over everything”.

Examiner gardening writer Graham Porter said: “This is almost definitely the Hawthorn Webber moth, Scythropia crataegella, that can attack cotoneasters as in Mr Morris’ garden as well as hawthorns.

“It is unusual in the north of England. The females lay eggs on plants in July and August, with young caterpillars mining into leaves in autumn where they remain until spring when they emerge and spin the webbing and feed in the leaves. They pupate on the webbing in June and July.

“Treatment can only be by contact insecticides to kill young caterpillars. Bifenthrin is an active ingredient to ask for as well at any of the organic spray containing Pyrethrum based insecticides.”

Cotoneaster Webber caterpillars are the larval stages of the Hawthorn Webber moth.

The foliage becomes brown and dried up where small, dark brown caterpillars have grazed away the leaf surface.

Hawthorn Webber moth larvae cover their feeding area with a fine white silk webbing

The life cycle of the Hawthorn Webber moth is a year

The young caterpillars resume feeding in late spring, when the webbing and damage becomes more extensive and noticeable

When fully fed in early summer, the caterpillars pupate within the silk webbing.

Hawthorn Webber moth caterpillars are 12-15mm long when fully grown and they produce extensive white silk webbing that covers their feeding area.