Disabled mother hits back at council after they REFUSED to cut her grass

A local disabled woman has hit back at the council after they refused to cut her grass for her.

Tilehurst resident Susan Benham, 70, said the council has been trimming her grass and hedges for quite some time.

Despite her being unable to tend to her own garden the council recently called her up and told her that they would no longer be doing the work.

"I've also got a son with learning difficulties and another son with bad hay fever and asthma," she said.

"I've been phoning them for a number of weeks. They just told me that I was on a list and it would be sorted out."

Mrs Benham then suddenly got a phone call from the council saying that they are going to stop doing her grass.

They told her that they expect her sons to do the work for her. "Now my grass is five foot high in my back garden.

"It's dangerous to walk on as there's dips in the grass. It's full of nettles and the front garden as well is way overgrown because they have left it such a long time.

"It's absolutely unmanageable to do the garden now all together. It's very unreasonable for them to call me after I spent so long trying to get hold of them and just tell me there's nothing they can do."

Mrs Benham has tried to go back to the council but every time they've told her that her son must do it.

A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council said that the council was previously happy to regularly cut Ms Benham’s grass as part of their assisted grass cutting programme due to her circumstances at the time.

They continued "Those circumstances have subsequently changed however and there is now an able-bodied family member living at the property who can help her, i.e. her son, allowing the Council to focus this valuable service on residents who do not have such support.

"While Ms Benham has requested we continue with the service due to her son’s asthma and hay fever, these are not deemed to be conditions which preclude him from helping his mother."

The council said that if medical evidence of the severity of the conditions is provided, which clearly demonstrate he is unable to help her with this task, they will review our decision.

Mrs Benham has confirmed that she sent the council copies of doctor's letters.