WEEDS that grew several feet tall have been removed from Ferndown town centre.

Ferndown Town Council received numerous complaints about the state of planters on both sides of Victoria Road.

Traders even suggested they would weed the planters themselves.

But the town's seven councillors, led by mayor Cllr Lesley Dedman, were unable to act because there are not enough councillors left to hold meetings and make decisions on how to spend public money.

Cllr Dedman approached East Dorset District Council chief executive Alan Breakwell for help.

And the weeds have now been pulled and some flowers planted in their place.

Cllr Dedman said: "Despite there being a budget this year for the work to be done, it seems no one had sorted out who was to do the work.

"This omission left me and other councillors in the very embarrassing position of hearing from all sides totally justified criticism of the state of the town, and of being asked What's the council going to do about these weeds?' "Some shopkeepers were asking me if they could clear the weeds out and plant up themselves.

"I am also hoping to have some geraniums planted if the funds already put aside by the town council can be released, or if EDDC can come up with an alternative formula for payment."

Before the work took place, deputy town clerk Paul Falconbridge said: "The weeds are pretty big - some of them are a couple of feet tall.

"It's an eyesore that needs to be sorted.

"We have had quite a few complaints.

"It was just before we went inquorate.

"The next meeting was going to be to discuss quotations for getting it done.

"Because we went inquorate we couldn't do anything about it.

"The district council has been brilliant."