Dig a trench to one side of the cane, taking out the soil on to a polytarp. Dig underneath the cane, you may be able to transplant elsewhere. Fill in the hole with the soil add compost, water and fertilise before you replant. If you don't want to transplant it elsewhere you can burn it.

you would have to have a proper bonfire with a lot of heat on it as aposed to just putting a match to it .id get ready for some hard graft . i cut mine right down and put black polythene over it . i also poared boiling water on it every time i had done some cooking or made a drink. i also poured salt on it . it died after about 3 years lol . doc is right about digging it out.elbow grease .mine wasnt that big but ive sean some that are 10 feet across . if thats the case i would cut it right down and cover it.maybe doc knows a poison to help as it realy is a tough plant.

Thanks for the advice, I rather thought it would boil down to elbow grease and a stout back! Unfortunately some of the runners have crept underneath patio slabs and come up in another bed, I assume that heavy duty systemic weed killers won't make much difference to such a strong growth. (These should carry a hazard warning to any future purchaser in garden centres) Best wishes

your right they should geoffs . i actualy think it mite be made ilegal to sell or grow one of these days . it is a truley tuff with a double f plant so get ya axe saw and sturdy spade out.if you dig up everything you see and keep doing so eventualy it will go.