People living in Brighton will be offered tools to weed their overgrown pavements.

Brighton and Hove City Council blamed Brexit and the staff shortages for a proliferation of weeds on the city’s pavements.

In 2019, the local authority banned the use of a weedkiller on the basis of concerns it would create more visible weeds and grass.

The council said: “Unfortunately, we have only managed to recruit nine of the 26 seasonal staff we would normally take on to deal with the increased amount of weeding needed during the spring and summer months.

“As many of our seasonal staff used to come from European countries for the summer, the ability of European nationals to work in the UK after Brexit, alongside the pandemic, is continuing to have an impact on our recruitment.”