Drivers warned as hedgerows grow wild in the country

With the main parish branchage inspections not due to start for another three weeks, road safety officer Philip Blake is asking motorists to drive more slowly and take more care when driving in particularly overgrown areas. He said: ‘Driving along some lanes can be more tricky than usual, and when motorists hear stalks brushing against their wing mirror they tend to move a little more into the centre of the road.’ Overgrown hedgerows also reduce visibility on corners and junctions, he said. Landowners who allow their hedges, bushes and trees to become so overgrown that they block roads or footpaths can face parish fines if they are not cleared in time for the parish inspections.