Extra maintenance workers are out across the Great Yarmouth borough tackling the grass and weeds - which have grown faster than usual due to the uncommon weather conditions.

The borough counil said that because the winter was relatively mild this year, the grass continued to grow during the coldest months.

And since mid-May, the prolonged warm and wet conditions have resulted in particularly vigorous growth in a matter of weeks, with the grass growing particularly long between the normal scheduled cuts.

Now, Great Yarmouth Borough Council and its operational partner, GYB Services Ltd, have agreed extra work that is taking place over the next four weeks.

The three normal grass-cutting crews have been bolstered by a fourth two-operative team. There are also two additional mechanical street sweepers tackling kerbside weeds, plus two extra operatives clearing weeds on roads where parked cars prevent mechanical sweeping and where weeds are not able to be collected by the machine.

Cllr Carl Smith, chair of the environment committee, said: 'One of the borough council's priorities is to ensure the streets are consistently clean and well presented, enhancing the borough as a great place to live, work and visit.

'This year, many councils, businesses and others responsible for maintaining large areas of greenery have faced additional challenges due to the uncommon weather – it is a nationwide issue.

'If you have a garden at home, you will appreciate that your lawn has grown faster than usual for this time of year. You've probably decided to do a bit of extra work to keep it looking smart – and that's exactly what we're doing for public open spaces.

'As the summer progresses, we expect the rate of growth will slow naturally and will become more manageable again. The extra operatives are a short-term measure to bridge the gap.'