DERBY Telegraph readers have had their say on the decision to halve the number of times grass verges are cut in the city.
Derby City Council says the decision will save more than £90,000 a year, part of the £82 million of cuts needed across all its services.
But Telegraph readers have voiced their anger at the cuts, saying the city looks "untidy" and "messy" due to the lack of grass cutting.
Joanna Gildea took to Facebook to have her say. She commented: "It's a joke. The area I live in looks a complete mess. The grass on one street is almost as high as the street sign!
"If I stopped paying my council tax, they'd soon be on my case!"
And Jeannette Taylor-Bye Makes agreed. She said: "It makes Derby look untidy and messy. Not a good way to impress visitors to the city."
David Bartram, the council officer responsible for the verges, said that, since March, the grass was now being cut every six weeks.
He explained: "This reduction in the standard was part of the package of budget cuts of £29 million which the council was forced to find for the financial year 2014-15.
"This is in the context of the £82 million of savings which will be required.
"The savings of approximately £91,000 include the drop in cutting frequency and a reduction in staff levels.
"This is not the service we would like to be delivering but is a consequence of the huge budget reductions we are facing."
