IT could be a sketch from a bad comedy show but here is Councillor Brian Pearce wading through the different length of grass on a verge cut by three separate authorities.

The outskirts of this verge in Holmers Farm Way is nice and trim after it was recently cut back but the rest of it resembles an overgrown field.

That is because the verge is divided into segments and cut by the contractors of three different authorities - Wycombe District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and Red Kite Community Housing.

Cllr Pearce said the "madness" would not look out of place in a Monty Python sketch and called on the authorities to get their acts together, as he believes scenarios like the Cressex verge could be replicated around the district.

He said: "It is complete madness - I have had more complaints about this than I ever did for the proposed Community Stadium for Wycombe Wanderers.

"It might seem trivial to some people but it looks disgusting, it is full of rubbish and it is harming the image of High Wycombe - particularly to those people who travel into the town to visit John Lewis, who would think it’s untidy.

"You would think the authorities would take it in turns to cut the whole verge or arrange it properly so the different segments get cut at the same time.

"But we have three authorities, probably with three different contractors, arriving on three separate occasions on different trucks to use three different pieces of machinery - it beggars belief, it should be in a Monty Python sketch."

WDC and BCC said discussions are ongoing to potentially devolve the responsibility of grass cutting to parish and town councils.

Wycombe District Council said it cuts the grass on land it owns 12 times a year.

But open spaces, such as the Library Gardens and Wycombe Cemetery, are cut more frequently and additional cutting may also take place ahead of public events, such as Higginson Park before the Marlow Town Regatta.

Transport for Buckinghamshire said its responsibility was to keep highways in a safe condition, which requires it to cut grass around junctions that could impair the vision of motorists.

It added: "As we have a duty to carry this out on all roads we are responsible for, we are sometimes unable to cut surrounding areas of grass that could delay us from attending other areas that may pose potential safety issues."

Red Kite said the grass on the verge was historically cut by the councils but it had "recently been alerted to the change in grass cutting practice."

It added: "As a result we have arranged for this work to be picked up through our contracts.

"This will ensure that the local residents continue to enjoy well maintained amenity areas to the standards that have been set by our customers.

"We will be reviewing other arrangements to ensure that they are not affected by any proposed changes."