Dorchester Civic Society’s Keith Wilson has complained about the lack of gutter and gully cleaning in the county town by Dorset Council.

He told town councillors in Dorchester on Monday evening that some areas now look like a garden with many places overgrown with weeds.

He said he had been told that a visitor to the town had expressed disgust at the state of some areas.

“There are a plethora of systems which take water down to the gutter and in some we seem to have a vegetable garden growing…the other problem is weeds which make the town look unkempt. It would be nice to see shop owners take a pride in their businesses,” he said.

Town mayor Richard Biggs said there had been no routine programme at the higher level council for at least ten years to look after gullies and drains with Dorset Council relying on people to visit their website to report problems. He questioned whether there should be more regular maintenance around the town’s historic buildings in the centre.

Cllr Molly Rennie said she had noticed weeds along many shop fronts in the town: “It would seem realistic to expect people to do it themselves,” she said.