Villagers take grass verge mowing into own hands

Villagers struggling to see past overgrown grass at a junction in Leicestershire have taken matters into their own hands and trimmed the verges themselves.

Measham resident Chris Cooper armed himself with his petrol-powered strimmer and mowed the junction of Bosworth Road and Gallows Lane on Wednesday after finding his line of sight blocked while driving.

It follows another resident mowing the same junction earlier in June, after the issue had been reported to Leicestershire County Council.

The council says mowing schedules have been delayed by “unseasonably wet weather”.

It adds it is currently undertaking a second annual cut of its rural grass network so areas needing to be mown will be tackled soon.

Mr Cooper said: “I popped and cut the grass verge as it was a joke to try and see any traffic coming.

“I was just doing a little for the community where I can.”

A council spokesperson said: “Leicestershire’s rural grass network is 3.9m linear metres in length and to maintain this, the grass is cut three times a year. However, unseasonably wet weather over the last few weeks has both accelerated grass growth and caused a delay to our cutting schedule.

“The first cut of foliage blocking motorist visibility was completed in early May.

"A second cut (single swathe and visibility splays) is still under way and programmed for completion by the end of June. The third cut is scheduled for late summer.

“Please use our online reporting system for highways safety issues.”

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