The number of requests made for grass to be cut soared by 240% after No Mow May when compared to the same three months last year.

As reported last month, Medway Council decided it would alter the way it co-ordinates the national scheme – which encourages people to refrain from mowing for a month – after unkempt areas attracted complaints.

Council leader Cllr Alan Jarrett (Con) criticised No Mow May and said his authority would not be going ahead with the initiative in the same manner next year.

In recent weeks, its Twitter account has been inundated with moans about unsightly paths and road verges, with some people asking why grass has been left to grow despite the scheme coming to an end.

Responding to a Freedom of Information request, the council's contractor Medway Norse revealed the number of grass cutting requests made online over the last three months.

They show that between May and July there were 848 – a 240% rise from the same period last year.

June saw the highest number of requests with 471, compared to 71 a year ago.

The council's customer relations team raised three complaints for Norse to deal with in May.

This rose to 14 in June and 13 in July. In the same quarter last year, only one complaint was raised.

Some residents are in favour of seeing the practice repeated next year, with alterations, and a petition on the council's website calling for its return has attracted more than 180 signatures.

At the beginning of July, a KentOnline poll found that 2,846 people wanted the scheme retained in some format, while 1,489 voted for it to be scrapped.

To find out how to report problems with grass cutting, hedge trimming and shrubs, and for further information on how the council cuts grass, click here.

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