The county council’s inability to deal with the simple problem of grass continues as residents across the district wonder why there are weeds growing untidily in the gutters.

Local Lib Dem county councillor Chris White said: ‘Residents in various streets have approached me about this – including, as examples, Flora Grove and Hart Road where the problem is especially noticeable.

‘The function of weed clearance lies clearly with the county council but there has been no way of reporting it online. In fact I was advised to report it as a weed problem on the pavement and append a note saying that the pavement weeds were really in the gutter.

‘It didn’t really matter because the county council reporting system then told me that it was a district council matter away.

‘After much to-ing and fro-ing the county council has agreed it’s a county matter and are now – at the end of the growing season – finally getting round to clearing the unsightly mess.

‘Yet another highways shambles.’