"DIABOLICAL" and "an eyesore" is how an overgrown garden in Tisbury has been described, as calls are made for the council to pay more attention to the cleanliness of the village.
Susan Woods, aged 74, claims she has been contacting Wiltshire Council for the last six years in an attempt to resolve her neighbour's unkept garden, which spills on to a footpath between their homes.
The resident at The Avenue fears for her health and safety when using the footpath to reach her property.
"It makes it so hard walking down the footpath, it's especially difficult when I’ve got all my shopping. It all just covers the path," she said.
"If I fall I’m not getting back up, I have to be so careful."
Daughter Michelle said she has also been in touch with the authority to discuss the issue, adding: "Someone just makes a visit and cuts it back once a year, it needs more than that.
"We just need someone to monitor it, the gardens in this area are never forced to be kept up to scratch.
"My brother tripped up on it a few weeks ago. The rain pushes it over as well."
Describing the overgrown bushes as a "life hazard", Michelle added: "It's diabolical, an eyesore, and it isn’t just about this footpath, it’s about the state of the whole of Tisbury. The council does not care.
"Residents in the village have to live here with overgrown gardens - the tenants should be made to upkeep their gardens and properties.
"It’s disgusting and so upsetting when it is someone else’s mess. Tisbury just isn’t looked after like other places, it doesn’t count. The council needs to take our concerns seriously, it doesn't seem to realise the destruction it is causing.
"Some footpaths are so dangerous you have to walk up the road."
Responding to these concerns, Councillor Phil Alford, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for housing, strategic assets and asset transfer said: “Wiltshire Council neighbourhood officers are aware of the issue on this private pathway and have reminded the tenant involved of their responsibility to maintain their garden and to keep the path tidy and clear for both residents.
"Failing that the council will undertake the work and recharge the costs.”
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