A STOKENCHURCH resident has raised concerns about the number of times the council are going to cut the village's grass verges.

Eric Buckle from Beech Close said Buckinghamshire County Council leave it later each year to cut the grass.

He said: "I have been in the village for 20 years. For the last few years when the council contractors come along and cut our grass they leave it so late to do the first cut.

"And then it blows all over the village- they don't bother to clean anything up."

And he fears the problem is only going to get worse as the council are going to cut the number of times it cuts the grass from ten to six.

Mr Buckle added: "It is difficult to describe how much the mess is. This is when they cut it ten times a year.

"Five to six times a year and the mess is going to be twice as much.

"There are a lot of grass verges in the village. It just blows everywhere. It is a terrible mess.

"Basically they won't do anything about it."

Spokesman for Transport for Bucks, Dan Elworthy, said: "Grass cutting takes place during the summer months, this year starting on April 7. Due to changes in the budget for grass cutting, we have had to reduce the number of cuts from ten to six scheduled cuts for urban areas, which is one cut every five weeks.

"As we are carrying out the first cuts of the season, the grass is long in places and may not leave an aesthetically pleasing result. We are working hard to complete the first series of cuts around the county, so the second cuts can be started as soon as possible.

"Cut grass is not routinely collected, but will be cleared from footpaths using hand blowers where possible."

Details of the grass cutting programme can be viewed online at - www.buckscc.gov.uk/transport