CONCERNED residents have criticised council bosses for letting the poisonous ragwort plant flourish on the region's roadsides.

The giant yellow flowering plants, seen blooming by trunk roads, are poisonous to animals, dangerous to humans and hated by farmers.

Concerned residents fear if something is not done the plant will take over meadowland.

Audra Howard, from Belthorn, has reported the plant -- growing on Belthorn Road, Grane Road, Haslingden Old Road and on the roundabout at Guide -- to both Blackburn with Darwen and Hyndburn councils.

The mother-of-two, said: "If an animal eats it, it will kill it. And if it is not killed instantly it can cause so much liver damage that it proves fatal later.

"The council should get specialists to clear and dispose of it. "If it can kill a horse what could it do to a toddler?"

Jennifer Whalley, from Duckworth Hall Farm, on Haslingden Old Road, added: "Will it have to take a catastrophe before something is done? Hundreds of horses die every year after ingesting ragwort and a lot of lambs' livers have to be condemned because they are no longer fit for human consumption. If the poison gets into the food chain it really is a serious problem.

Peter Hunt, director of direct services at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We recognise that recently ragwort has become prevalent. The Council follows the DEFRA code of practice on how to prevent the spread of ragwort on areas of land the council are responsible for and we will remove it.