English and Scottish trees will welcome Britain's exit from the EU, according to a top researcher at Kew Gardens.

Tony Kirkham, head of arboretum at the Royal Botanic Garden, said the fashion for importing old, fully-grown trees from the Continent meant pests were getting into the UK more easily.

But tighter bio-security laws enforced after a Brexit deal could stop the large number of tree-eating creepy crawlies entering the country.

The British Oak (pictured left) and the Scots pine (pictured centre) are both under threat from pests that come in under the bark of trees imported from Europe, according to Tony Kirkham, head of arboretum at the Royal Botanic Garden (pictured right)

The Emerald Ash-borer beetle (pictured left) is a big threat to ash trees, according to the head of arboretum at the Royal Botanic Garden. The pine processionary moth (pictured right) is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars, but has not yet entered Britain

More and more grownup trees are being imported from Europe to accommodate the demand for 'instant gardens'.

Instead of waiting for trees to grow naturally, adults can be imported from other countries for the right price, according to Mr Kirkham.

Insects like the emerald ash borer and the pine processionary moth could get into Britain buried deep in the bark of trees imported from Europe.

A growing fashion for stone pine trees is particularly dangerous for the British species.

The processionary moth caterpillar is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and southern Europe, but has not yet reached the UK.

The emerald ash borer is native to eastern Asia and Mr Kirkham told The Times the beetle had 'ravaged' trees on the east coast of America.

He added that when it gets to Britain we would not have to worry about dieback destroying the species because the bug will 'eat the collection'.

The Ash (pictured left) and the Stone Pine tree (pictured next to Richmond Palace gates) are both under threat from tree-eating pests

Mr Kirkham claims we would not have to worry about Ash dieback (pictured), a chronic fungal disease of ash trees in Europe that causes leaf loss, if the Emerald Ash-borer beetle entered the UK because the insect would quickly destroy the species

The fashion for importing stone pine trees (pictured) is particularly dangerous as they the pine processionary moth buries itself in the bark

Mr Kirkham told audiences at the Write on Kew literary festival that he was in talks with the Department of Environment and Rural Affairs about dealing with the side-effects of 'instant gardens', The Times reported.

He said it was the 'worst time for tree diseases' adding that 'every year there is a new pest on a different tree'.