A PROGRAMME of weed spraying by Cumberland Council started earlier in Carlisle this year and it is set to be rolled out across the rest of the council area, it has been revealed.

Last year weed control by the council was criticised because it started late which some councillors claimed left parts of the city looking "like a jungle" due to overgrown weeds.

During Tuesday's (April 30) meeting of the full council at the Civic Centre in Carlisle, members were given the opportunity to ask questions relating to portfolio holder's reports.

Because they were approaching the three-hour limit for meetings the council leader, councillor Mark Fryer (St Johns and Great Clifton, Labour), proposed that the reports were moved "en bloc" and this was agreed.

Councillor Martin Harris (Dearham and Broughton, Labour) asked councillor Denise Rollo (Harrington, Labour), the sustainable, resilient and connected places portfolio holder, for an update on weed control.

In her report she said: "We have also started weed spraying and have set off earlier this year in Carlisle in an effort to alleviate the issues from last year.

"Currently we are trailing an in-house delivery model which we will review at the end of the season and, if it proves to be successful and financially viable, we will roll this out across the whole of Cumberland."

Cllr Harris noted that it had started in Carlisle and asked if it would be "rolled out" to other towns and villages in the Cumberland area?

Cllr Rollo said that it would be rolled out across the whole of Cumberland and added: "We've started in Carlisle because it's in-house."