SOUTHAMPTON residents have taken matters into their own hands after overgrown weeds invaded their streets.

Homeowners living on Liverpool Street spent hours after work clearing away the hardy plants.

Weeds in the area have grown to almost five metres in height, and residents said the bag of rubbish weighed about 29kg.

They are happy to remove the weeds on their properties but are annoyed the council has not tackled those on the pavements.

Frustrated resident Bruno Johnson has called on Southampton City Council to do something to maintain the neighbourhood.

Daily Echo:

Bruno, who has lived in the area since 2001, said the overgrown weed situation around his street is really bad. 

He added: "I am sweeping up and collecting all the dirt all by myself.

"By not doing the weeds, the condition of the road is getting worse and it is causing long-term damage. Every two or three weeks, I routinely buy bottles of weed killer."

Daily Echo:

Fellow resident, Angelo Drosi, said he was disappointed by the lack of action by the council.

He said he has tried to report the weeds to the council by phone but has not had any success.

Angelo said: "Me and my wife roughly paid about £2,000 a year in council tax.

"In 2019, the council stopped cleaning all the weeds, and I had to come out here in the evening after work and scrape all the weeds. 

"Massive weeds were coming all around the driveway. It took me about an hour and a half to pull them out.

"I am paying council tax and my council cut is part of cleaning the street. They are not doing it.

"So why should I take the responsibility of cleaning the pavement outside my house? 

"It is not our responsibility, it is theirs," Angelo added.

Asked about the residents' concerns, a city council spokesperson said: "Residents are invited to report overgrown vegetation affecting council-owned and managed land on the Southampton City Council website.

"Issues reported using this service will be processed promptly.

"The issue at Liverpool Street has now been recorded and will be dealt with accordingly."

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