A councillor says he is angry at the lack of maintenance to a popular footpath in his village.

The footpath, which is situated on the main road out of Great Clifton heading to Stainburn garage has been left partially blocked due to the growth of plants, including nettles either side.

Peter Gaston, Allerdale Councillor for the Clifton and Stainburn Ward, fears that if the lack of maintenance to the path is left any longer and becomes blocked, people may start to walk on the adjacent main road, putting themselves in serious danger.

He has been left frustrated after reporting the issue to the council a number of weeks ago.

He said: “I reported it about three to four weeks ago on the Allerdale app (to be referred to the county) and and still nothing has been done.

“People can’t get through with prams, it's getting too overgrown and eventually people are going to have to walk on the main road.

“They think because were out in the sticks they can forget about us, they think ‘it’s just Clifton, we’ll do it when we can’.”

Mr Gaston said a number of residents have complained to him as many people regularly walk the footpath everyday to use the local shop and garage.

He is worried that if the hedgerows grow anymore without being maintained there could be a serious accident as people may start to use the main road to walk along.

He said: “My primary concern is that if they leave this a couple more weeks people won’t get through and they will have to walk on the main road. That is dangerous for themselves and the motorists that use the road.”

Mr Gaston also said that the blockage of the route has affected people from outside the village who may walk the route from nearby Stainburn and Workington.

Cumbria County Council said that it was planning to deal with the overgrowth issue in the near future.

A spokesman for Cumbria Highways said: “The council is aware of the issue and the location will be accredited in our forthcoming verge maintenance works.”