DRIVERS on Rainford By-pass are having to contend with a 'jungle' of four foot high grass covering the central reservation and verges, obscuring vision at junctions and roundabouts along the busy highway.

Angry motorists and residents claim its only a matter of time before someone is killed after a spate of accidents on the road over the last month.

Stephen Dunne, 35, who lives in St Helens Road, just off the by-pass, explained: "People are taking their lives in their hands by trying to get out on to the by-pass at the moment. The situation is absolutely ridiculous with the grass on the verges reaching four feet high.

"There have been a number of accidents within the last month, the latest was on Sunday. People trying to get on to the by-pass just don't stand a chance because they're having to pull out blind which isn't ideal at the best of times, but certainly not on the by-pass where the traffic is fast-flowing. We're lucky that there hasn't been a death on the road in any of the accidents so far, but if they leave it much longer there will be.

He continued: "I know of a lot of families who like to take their children cycling, I normally take my own son George (6) and daughter Emily (3) out for a ride, but now things are just too dangerous."

A spokesman for Lancashire Highways Consultancy (the Highways Agency's management agency for Area 17, which includes the by-pass), said: "The verges are cut in accorance with rules laid down by the Highways Agency. They receive a statutory cut once a year and whenever necessary for safety reasons.

"The Highways Agency's contractor is looking at the situation at the moment and we are currently trying to resolve the problem."

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