The Somerset highways grass and verge cutting season is well underway, with contractors scheduled to cut more than 9,400km of verge – almost the distance from Taunton to Tokyo.

The season runs from May until September, with the work scheduled to start on C and unclassified roads (including junction visibility splays and sight lines) on June 7.

The last works - from late August - are what Somerset County Council refer to as Environmentally protected sites.

Councillor John Woodman, Somerset County Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, said: "Safety is the priority and the grass cutting programme is extremely important during the summer months to ensure visibility for road users.

"However, we work hard to balance the need to keep people safe while aiming to protect and encourage wildlife as much as possible.

"Our teams have a timetable which covers the network, you can see this on our website, but if members of the public do spot an immediate problem caused by an overgrown verge, they can report it online."

Residents can find out more about the 2021 programme, including maps showing which roads are included and the order of works, by clicking HERE : the travel Somerset site