Let us spray for a speedy end to invasion of weeds

'M all for green spaces but never thought the policy extended to pavements. As you can see from the pictures on this page, vegetation has been meeting concrete in spectacular fashion in my home town of Ilkeston. I'd begun to wonder if the streets were being prepped for some twisted version of the Chelsea Flower Show.

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The weeds are rampant, up to four feet high in places - thistles among them. I’ve never seen the streets in this little corner of the world looking such a mess and set out to find who's responsible.

Last month, I reported that roadside gutters in residential areas of the town were full of weeds, awaiting attention in Derbyshire County Council's “planned maintenance schedule”. And still waiting.