AS is highlighted in one of our stories this week, verge cutting requires a fine balance between maintaining visibility for the safety of road users and ensuring the wildlife which relies on the flora of the verges keeps its habitat.

Growth of the verges has been out of kilter this year, given a very frosty April followed by a wet May.

Nevertheless, many species of wild flower did manage to make an appearance albeit it a little late.

Too late, in the instance of North Ribblesdale where the spring flowers were cut off at their stocking tops no sooner than they had emerged from the ground.

We’re not sure why the cut was made so soon, but as Mr Fenten, who contacted us said, Cumbria manages its verges with just one cut later in summer to allow the annual plants to set seed.

Much has been made over the recent past in growing flowers and rewilding areas for bees in particular to thrive.

Indeed some councils have allowed areas to become completely wild and have sown wild flower seed to add colour to otherwise scalped verges.

Hopefully some middle-ground can be found in the future among the councils so that verges (and later in the year, hedges) are cut sensibly so road users and those who enjoy seeing the flowers can have the best of both worlds.