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Council tenant Paul Mander is demanding to know when the grass will be cut outside his house.

He says the grass is currently six-inches tall and there are dandelions and daisies poking through the turf.

And refuse collector Paul - who works on the bins around the Staffordshire Moorlands - says the grass is shorter in Leek than in his beloved Stoke-on-Trent.

It comes as the 57-year-old dad-of-one has just been hit with an £830 council tax bill for the new financial year.

The grandad, who lives on Chetwynd Street, Smallthorne, said: "I don't understand why the council can't come and cut the grass. We are all still paying our council tax and the grass is six-inches high.

(Image: Joe Burn)

"I was born and bred here and I'm proud to be a Stokie - but the city has gone to the dogs. The grass is much better in Leek.

"We're all thinking of buying mowers and doing it ourselves. It's a bit of a joke. You can't even get the council out to cut the lawns now."

Neighbour Jim Boulton, aged 67, added: "Why should I go out and buy a mower? Older people won’t be able to do that, they live in these bungalows. One gentleman is in a wheelchair across the road and he can't be expected to cut his grass.”

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has defended its council tax charges which are used to provide more than 700 services to 256,000 residents across the Potteries.

A council spokesman said: “Given we are in the middle of a global pandemic, our focus right now is on continuing to deliver vital front-line services, which we hope residents will understand.

"While we appreciate long grass might be frustrating, keeping the public safe is our number one priority right now, which includes delivering personal care to 3,000 elderly people across the city.

"We will look at the complaint raised by Mr Mander regarding the grass cutting."