Grass cuttings from verges that have been allowed to grow into wildflower meadows will be cut at the end of summer and sold to the National Grid to create energy in the first scheme of its kind.

Lincolnshire County Council is letting its grass verges grow wild over summer in order to encourage pollinators such as butterflies and bees instead of mowing them.

At the end of the summer, the grass will be shorn and the long cuttings sent to be used as biofuel.

The money made from the scheme will be put back into maintaining the verges for next year.

While verges are often ignored, they provide important habitats for wildlife and also have potential to be used for peat-fee compost and green fuel.

Mark, the project manager at Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust says “It’s just as if our biggest nature reserve has been hidden in plain sight.

Keeping verges safe for road users is a priority, but small changes to how we manage them could make a massive difference on a national scale."