A parish council is claiming that the St Albans Diocesan Board is "disrespectful" by not addressing serious environmental issues.

London Colney Parish Council asked the church diocesan board to tidy up it's overgrown land adjacent to the Glebe Allotments, in Richardson Close.

The parish council have said that the half acre of land is not only overgrown hedges, but it is home to wild rabbits and "possibly other vermin", which come and "eat, infect and destroy" allotment holders produce.

Chairman of the parish council, Malcolm MacMillan said that the council has claimed that the board was "disrespectful" and did not address a serious environmental issue "courteously".

The diocesan board referred the matter to its agent, Bidwells.

Mr MacMillan said: "As a Christian organisation it seems incumbent that your behaviour as a diocesan board is more responsible and that of a good neighbour instead of ignoring our issue and passing on the other side of the road.

"The arrogance of the board's agent 'beggars belief' as Bidwells disputed responsibility for a rabbit plague on the site, but acknowledged it was overgrown, stating that it will be cleared with the surveyor deems it appropriate.

"Our villages who have Glebe Allotments take great pride in maintaining their plots and growing good produce, whilst they have to contend with an overgrown eyesore that may or may have contributed to the menace, but certainly contributes to the environmental menace."

The council said it was most disappointed that the city's managing board could not react with empathy and work with the Parish to find a solution.

Arun Kataria, a spokesman for the Diocese of St Albans, said: "St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance has no wish to be on anything other than good terms with our tenant and neighbour, London Colney Parish Council.

"The land adjacent to their allotments has no current use, but it is nonetheless cleared periodically, the last time being in 2014.

"Rabbits, being wild, can and do appear on land in any condition. The law does not place a duty on landowners to their neighbours in respect of rabbits, perhaps in recognition of this.

"We did, through our agent, suggest rabbit fencing to London Colney Parish Council that might prevent damage by rabbits, which are of course in plentiful supply in the St Albans area, including on the well-mown verges of local major roads."