No - unless they're thick enough for a stump grinder, which I doubt. I'm afraid it's a fork and elbow grease once you've cut back the top growth!

I chopped two ancient privets right down to 10" below ground a few years back. Dusted meself off & thought that was that - - -wrong - - - blighters both threw up new shoots approx 3 months later as I recall. So impressed with their tenacity was I that they are now both 12' high topiary sculptures. So, make a good job of removing them SG as they just might fight back.

I've heard that drilling the stumps and putting some SBK brushwood killer into the holes should do the trick. Never tried it myself though.

Wouldn't that still leave roots in the ground, Anchorman? Yes, it might help with the stumps, but all the roots would need removing in case Steve wants to plant anything up against the new fence. Plus, of course, he'll need to add nutrients to the soil once the roots are out.

Yes it would leave the roots but they would rot down eventually. Removing the roots physically would be better but I think Steve was looking for a way to avoid that.

Oh well, it's over to him now!

Many thanks everybody I managed to get the most smallest of diggers and a friend to use it and we used chains around the bucket this really made light work of the job