AN ANDOVER mother says she is being forced to take her children along one of the town’s busiest roads in order to avoid a nearby cycle path which she claims is “dangerously overgrown”.

Mother-of-three Lucinda Barry says she is having to cycle her family to and from St John the Baptist School via Weyhill Road after she and her children were repeatedly stung while using the cycle path between Shaw Close and Floral Way.

The recruitment consultant says the approximately 750 metre footpath, which is also used by Balksbury and John Hanson pupils, is overgrown with stinging nettles, brambles and thistles.

She even claims that there are several brambles canes which hang down on the path like “Tarzan rope”.

Mrs Barry says she is now boycotting the route because she is “fed up” and is worried that the brambles could cause a more serious injury.

She said: “We’ve been stung by nettles and pricked by brambles. I’ve even been stung through my jeans and because it is summer the kids are all wearing their summer outfits which means their legs are exposed to it.

“It is the brambles that worry me, some of them are at head height and could poke someone in the eye.

“I’m cycling my children down Weyhill Road now because they were turning up at school in tears and that is not right.”

Hampshire County Council’s executive member for economy transport and environment, councillor Seán Woodward, said: “I would like to thank the local residents for bringing this matter to our attention.

“As planned, engineers will be clearing vegetation north of the railway line this week and inspecting the southern section of the path at the same time. Work to the southern section will then be prioritised and carried out as soon as possible.

“I would like to remind anyone that sees a problem on our road or footpath network in Hampshire, to report it online at www.hants.gov. uk/roadproblems, so we can deal with it as quickly as possible.”