WEEDS are being left to grow wild on pavements and roadsides because a contractor has not been employed to deal with them.

Essex County Council has an agreement with maintenance company, Pinnacle, to spray the roads and kerbside in Castle Point with weedkiller, but the contract does not extend to pavements, which are also County Hall’s responsibility.

The borough’s housing estates, the responsibility of Castle Point Council, are also being neglected as no one is contracted to clear weeds from them.

Dave Blackwell, leader of the Canvey Island Independent Party, said: “I was gobsmacked to discover these areas are being ignored.

“You can sweep up as much rubbish as you like, but if there’s weeds everywhere, the place will still look a mess.

“In such a dry summer, it is dangerous, as the grass is like tinder and it would only take a spark to set it off.

“The area around the garages in Little Gypps Road and the pavements in Rainbow Road, Dovervelt Road and Larrup Avenue are all bad.

“Even the town centre looks a mess.”

Trudie Bragg, Castle Point Council’s head of environment and community, said it had not agreed a contract to cover areas around its housing estates as it was expecting to transfer council houses to a private landlord. But tenants voted overwhelmingly against the properties being taken over by Swan Housing in early 2008.

Pinnacle is contracted by Castle Point to sweep the streets and cut the grass in the borough and by Essex County Council to look after the highways.

Pinnacle director Neil Fergus said: “The roads are sprayed with weed killer three times a year during the growing season to the kerb line only.

“Our contract doesn’t cover pavements or garage areas.”

A county council spokeswoman said it could only spray areas once weeds had appeared due to environmental concerns. She said: “The county council has been working to improve the situation.

“Highway rangers have been asked to clear weeds at critical points on the highway.

“If anyone has any specific concerns they should contact Essex County Council’s High-ways Department.”