Weeds four feet high on a stretch of street which was the site of a £200,000 public art project have been described as "shameful".

Beds were put in on the flyover over the A406 in South Woodford as part of a scheme which also saw three winged sculptures and decorated benches installed in February last year.

The cash for the improvement project was provided by Telford homes as part of an agreement reached with Redbridge Council when they built the nearby Queen Mary's Gate development.

But Church End councillor Richard Hoskins has hit out over a failure to maintain the beds, which are now overrun with unattractive plants.

He said: "I warned officers five weeks ago that the flower beds on the A406 bridge would become a municipal disgrace if they did not get weeded.
"I was told ‘no worries, leave it to us we will deal with it.’

"I went on holiday assuming they would be dealt with, but on my return I was appalled to see that nothing has been done.

"The beds are now overrun with weeds, thistles and bindweed. It’s four feet high in places.

"I do a lot of gardening myself and I can tell you that a lot of the weeds in these beds will have seeded, which means they’ll come up again next season now.

"I presume Vision (the company which manages the council’s culture and leisure services) who had responsibility for the £200,000 spending on the bridge remain responsible for maintaining the beds they planted as such expense.

"It is a shameful sight to see the beds in their present state."
Redbridge Council had not commented at the time of going to press.