The plot thickens - but with weeds

Mr Higgins, 70, a retired driver and meter reader, of Thalia House, London Road, has rented his 21 per annum, 150 square yard plot for the past two or three years to grow his own vegetables.

But he said: "So far this year the plot next to mine has been left empty, or at least let to someone who's hardly ever there, and it was the same last year.

"There's another alongside where the fella packed up in March, and another nearby where it's three feet high with grass and weeds.

"The trouble is, this means dandelions and other weeds keep spreading onto my plot, and the whole place just looks shabby and neglected."

Another tenant, Jacky Haynes, said she had had no more luck than Mr Higgins in getting Rother District Council to do something about the overgrown plots.

"When people are more than ever being encouraged to care for the environment and to grow their own produce to combat recession, it seems ludicrous that this land is just being left to waste," she said.

Mr Higgins claimed that the council had a waiting list of more than 100 potential allotment holders, yet seemed reluctant to let unused land at Barrack Hall Park.

Rother's head of amenities, Madeleine Gorman, said: "We're sorry the plots neighbouring Mr Higgins' allotment are causing him such distress.

"The council has tried to contact the tenants to ask them to maintain their plots to the appropriate standard, but they have yet to respond.

"Often people have good reasons why they cannot maintain their allotments and the council always gives allotment holders adequate opportunity to improve the condition of their plots before the ultimate step of eviction.

"In this case the council has already taken action as per the allotment tenancy agreement and shall proceed with the eviction process unless standards improve soon."