INCENSED parents living on a family estate in Wellington say the council is not playing ball when it comes to grass cutting.

A patch of grassland formerly used by sports-mad youngsters on the Swains Lane development has not been cut for more than two months - leaving children nowhere to play ball games.

One mother, who did not want to be named, told the County Gazette that the council was "not fulfilling their responsibilities" by allowing the site, which is on Cox Road, to get out of control.

She said: "All the children who live around Cox Road used to play football and cricket on there because it is big enough to do everything on - it's about the size of a football pitch.

"There is another park for them to go to but there are no ball games in the park. This patch of grass has not been cut for about two-and-a-half months I think."

The council cut the grass at the beginning of the summer but nothing has been done to the area since June.

"If you speak to anyone with children around the area, their kids all want to play there and can't because the thing is like a cornfield now. It's beyond a joke. "All it has to do is mow the grass once in a while but it doesn't even do that and that is what is making the families incensed."

But the council said this week that the matter would soon be addressed Deane council spokesperson Emma Brewster said: "An agreement has been reached with the developer, which will hand over maintenance of the public open spaces in the Swains Lane development to the council.

"This has only recently been formally agreed. We do intend to cut the grass within the next few days."