A quarter of grass verges in Kenilworth remain untouched some six weeks after No Mow May finished.

Figures released by local Liberal Democrat councillors show that while all housing areas in Kenilworth have been mown following the controversial biodiversity scheme, a lot of the district is yet to bed tended to.

Warwick District Council (WDC) said earlier this month its contractors are working "flat out" to finish tending to the grass which was allowed to grow for a whole month during May.

And while the council is catching up with the works, it said "the volume and scale of the workload" for cutting was "far greater than anticipated" which was leading to delays.

An update for Kenilworth's Liberal Democrats said: "We have been chasing up Warwick District Council about grass-cutting and, as at the end of Tuesday 11 July, the following has been cut:

• Kenilworth Verges = 75 per cent
• Kenilworth Housing = 100 per cent
• Warwick Verges = 80 per cent
• Warwick Housing = 100 per cent
• Leamington Verges = 65 per cent
• Leamington Housing = 90 per cent
• Rural Verges = 95 per cent
• Rural Housing = Ongoing as it's being picked up with the above with large sweeper assistance.

"If residents are concerned about a particular area, please email [email protected]

"The council's contractor's idverde UK are confident that the backlog will be cleared by the end of the month.

"We shall continue to keep residents updated and we have arranged for a formal review of the 2023 No Mow May initiative to examine its impact and the lessons that can be learned and shared."

WDC's green spaces team has also faced "a number of mechanical issues" in cutting back the grass, the local authority said.

The scheme has received a huge amount of backlash on social media, with many locals demanding the council does not take part in the scheme again next year.

Contractors have also reportedly been abused by members of the public over the past few weeks.

Over 4,200 people responded to a survey following the scheme finishing at the end of May.

WDC has not released the results of the survey yet.

Like many other councils, WDC took part in the biodiversity initiative for the first time this May, saying it was part of its declared ecological emergency.

But a poll by Nub News revealed that nearly two thirds of readers do not want No Mow May to return next year.

A further 16 per cent said the scheme should come back, but with changes. Some readers said it would be better if the council targeted fewer areas for wilding, and made sure verges around busy road junctions were still mown.