Residents are furious about a Bradford Council decision to stop cutting a grass embankment outside their homes.

The grass on the embankment in Southmere Drive, Great Horton, Bradford, has been cut by the Council for more than 25 years, say residents. But since the service stopped the embankment has become an eyesore.

Bradford Council insists the embankment is too steep for it to be safely worked on by its gardeners.

Barbara Robinson, 75, who lives in Southmere Drive, said: "It's bureaucracy gone mad. The Council has been cutting the grass for years without a problem and now all of a sudden it's a health and safety risk. The over-grown grass is an eyesore, it's spoiling what was once a very well-kept area.

"We pay our rates to get this service provided, we haven't stopped our payments so why should the service they provide stop?" Councillor John Godward (Lab, Great Horton) is helping the residents find a solution to the problem. "Residents are up in arms at the appearance of the banking because the grass is overgrown and makes the environment appear untidy, uncared for and run-down," said Coun Godward. "Moreover, weeds are taking over, and the dreaded ragwort is present. There has to be a mutually beneficial solution."

Coun Godward said the Council has suggested that the only viable option for the future is to kill the grass and replace it with shrubs and conifers.

Mrs Robinson said: "This is not an acceptable solution because the shrubs and conifers will collect rubbish in them and won't look as nice as the grass. Why can't they use strimmers to cut the grass if they are worried about the risk of using a mower?

Coun Godward said: "Clearly this area will not be the only one in Bradford to be affected by the new rules so we need to quickly find a solution which does not conflict with Health & Safety Regulations and is acceptable to the residents."

Bradford Council's Principal Street Scene officer, Damian Fisher, said: "I visited the site on Tuesday with a senior Health and Safety officer and a member of staff from the grass cutting team. The land is simply too dangerous for both staff and members of the public to work on - some parts have more than a 70 degree slope.

"The Health and Safety Executive has advised that individual risk assessments should be undertaken on sites such as these and we have done this at Southmere Drive.

"The assessment report states this site is not safe for people to work on and staff safety is paramount."

A spokesman from the Health and Safety Executive, said: "HSE has taken no action to prevent Bradford Council from cutting its grass verges. If ride-on mowers are to be used, HSE simply advises users to follow closely manufacturers' recommendations as to the degree of slope and type of gradient their particular machine can handle.