A woman has criticised Buckinghamshire Council after she reported seeing potentially harmful giant hogweed that can cause burns near a school. 

Erika Pueschel said she saw "more giant hogweed plants than you can count" on parts of the Upper Icknield Way, just behind Princes Risborough Secondary School, and immediately phoned Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) to let them know about it. 

Giant hogweed, also known as Heracleum mantegazzianum, is invasive and potentially harmful because chemicals in the sap can cause photodermatitis or photosensitivity, where the skin becomes very sensitive to sunlight and may suffer blistering, pigmentation and long-lasting scars.

It is an enormous, cow parsley-like plant with thick bristly stems that can be blotched with purple. 

The Woodland Trust says people should avoid touching the plants, as brushing through them and exposing yourself to plants that have been cut can leave you with sap on your skin. 

After Ms Pueschel's call to TfB, they sent a team to investigate, but said they could not find any hogweed - instead saying they saw an "abundance of cow or hedge parsley", which are not dangerous, instead - and asked her to send further details and photos. 

But this left Ms Pueschel frustrated, slamming them for being "incompetent or just lazy, probably both", adding: "You only have to walk a few feet into the Icknield Way behind the secondary school to find more Giant Hogweed plants than you could count.

"When I originally phoned to tell you about this I said I would be more than happy to walk with you to point out these plants, my offer still stands and maybe I can educate you people on flora and fauna along the way."

Cllr Steve Broadbent, the cabinet member for transport at Bucks Council, said: “We want to thank the resident for providing the extra information we asked for and the helpful photographs.

"We will of course investigate further. Whilst we will do everything we can to keep all public rights of way safe for users, we’d also like to remind landowners that the ultimate responsibility for dealing with noxious weeds rests with them.”