NUISANCE weeds and grass near Evesham have been removed by council workers.

Wychavon District Council and Worcestershire Highways worked together to tackle the growths around some of the most affected routes around the district.

Areas targeted included the route between Stoulton to Drakes Broughton, Boston Lane to the entrance to Evesham, part of Brick Yard Lane and half a mile of road on the way in to Pershore.

Specialist equipment was brought in to remove grass that had overgrown footpaths, while overhanging branches were cut back and weeds dug out where they had grown up between the road surface and the kerb.

Cllr Emma Stokes, portfolio holder for environment and street scene at the District Council, said: "Tackling overgrown weeds in rural areas was one of our priorities for this year.

"I’m positive people will see a noticeable difference as a result of this work and hope to see this carried out in other parts of the district in the near future."

Wychavon will be analysing the results of the project before considering rolling it out across the district.

Cllr John Smith OBE, cabinet member for Highways on Worcestershire County Council, said: "This project demonstrates the benefits of working together. We’ve not only opened up footpaths so they can be used again by the public but we’ve also improve the appearance of some key gateways into our towns and villages."