Residents are frustrated with the lack of action on the growing problems of weeds in the gutters and on pavements.

According to some, the city of St Albans is also an ‘eyesore’ because the grass is being left far too long before it is cut.

Some neighbours across the city have taken matters into their own hands, clearing sections in front of their own homes.

Kristian Gabriel, 45, who lives in the area, said: “It is getting really bad. They have just left the grass verges to get really long to the point where they look like an eyesore.

“I know other residents in St Albans have complained about the grass.

“It is an ongoing problem. It is an eye sore. People keep their front gardens looking nice but they have to look at the overgrown grass and weeds and it does not look nice.

“It just makes the area look really unkempt and uncared for. Residents do care about how it looks. HCC just seem to give a blanket response when we contact them.

“HCC now look after the grass verges and weeds in the area. The contractor Ringway deal with the highway issues.

“It used to be done by the district council but the problems started ever since HCC took over the maintenance of the grass verges.

“It just seems to have gone downhill since then. HCC say they have a 1.5million square foot of land to maintain throughout St Albans alone.

“They told me the District Council are able to do a more manicured finish.”

“Someone has got to put their hands up really. They do not deliver how they should be.

“Something needs to be done.”

According to Ms Gabriel said last year the grass cutting service from Hertfordshire County Council was "absolutely terrible" and she fears it will be the same they are going to have a repeat this year.

When Ringway eventually turn up to cut the areas they are using lawnmowers leave clumps of grass sat on top which eventually turn brown, according to Ms Gabriel.

Hertfordshire County Councillor for St Albans South Sandy Walkington is backing the residents in their plight.

Cllr Walkington said: “This is not how it should be. Ringway are paid by the county council to treat and remove weeds.

“They are not doing their job. And because weeds have been left to grow so big, just spraying them with weed killer is no longer enough.

“It just creates a brown ‘herbaceous border’ rather than a green one. I continue to be inundated with complaints, and frankly people are right to complain.

“It is so unfair that people look after their homes and gardens yet the public space between them is so uncared for. What must visitors to our city think?”

Only two districts in the whole of Hertfordshire have given the responsibility to Ringway – St Albans and Three Rivers. The rest are in charge of maintaining their own roads looking in good condition.

More than 500 households signed St Albans’ district councillor for Verulam Edgar Hill’s petition asking the county council to ‘get a grip on its contractor’.

Terry Douris, in charge of highways at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “Hertfordshire County Council and its highway contractor, Ringway, cuts grass on highways verges across a huge area, including 1.5 million square metres of highway grass in the St Albans district alone.

“In response to the rapid grass growth following the wet and warm weather in June, Ringway has increased its teams from four to six dedicated crews for St Albans. 

“Our teams started spraying weeds in May but this was hindered by the wet weather because the weed treatment requires the foliage to be dry when applied and then for a further four hours following treatment.

"In St Albans, the first weed treatment was completed  in early summer.

“We follow a schedule and try to address maintenance issues as quickly as possible.

"While we appreciate that some residents would prefer that verges were cut sooner and weeds treated earlier, we hope they understand this work is often weather dependant.”