It's always best if you can get the bramble roots out. If you can't, cut it down to ground level and wait for it to start growing again, when its got a couple of sets of leaves spray it with a systemic weedkiller (e.g. glyphosate), or paint it onto the leaves, being careful not to get it on any surrounding plants. It may take more than one application but it will gradually get rid of the brambles for you.

Try using cow or pig skin gloves to stop the thorns. They are the only type to stop blackberry thorns.

Why thank you very much - very useful information. I'm not a veggie but I'm not sure I fancy cow or pig skin?! Yikes. But thank you very very much. Very useful. Off to dig up some big roots to some weeds I cut down yesterday.

Get some leather gloves, that's what Wylie.. means, that's what I use, ones with thick padding inside too. I always poison the woody roots with SBK - you have to make cuts into it, or drill into them, making a tunnel, into which your pour the SBK, and then cover. Make sure, though, that you don't get it on the surrounding soil.

I know how you feel.thought i had dug them all out and it took hours,but ive got little buds comeing thru the ground now and some of them were massive,whats SBK as im gonna need it,from what my new neighbor says these brambles are about 7yrs old,very disheartening,chris

SBK is a brushwood killer - these are chemicals designed to kill woody plants, so they can be used on tree stumps too. But you do need a good chunky root for drilling into (with a medium to large wood bit) that's when it's most successful, otherwise its cutting into smaller roots to expose the flesh of the plant.

Thank you everyone. SBK! Hmm.