Mine sometimes has a bit of die back Mad....wait until after the new leaves have appeared next year; you will be able to see which bits are dead and trim them off.

Agreed. This is a feature of Acers.

Thank you both, but it isn't what I wanted to hear! I'll do what you suggest Amblealice. I do hope I don't have to cut too much off.

No, you won't have to cut much off. In fact, I would only bother to try and snap off anything that looks particularly ugly through the leaves. We have a number of acers and do very little to remove the dead wood.i doesn't do any harm.

yes dont worry mad its all well worth it in the end acers especialy young look perticulerly sparce this time of year as they are quite delicate but it will all be good in summer .just cut the die back flush with the growing stem as amblealice sais next year.

Oh good and thank you both, I'm glad about that. Roll on Summer.

your more than welcome mad xx hum bu................ i mean happy xmas mad lol

how did it go, Mad? please update! *s*