The fight against weeds will “go to a new level” after Dudley Council took on three quadbikes to make spraying more efficient.

The three 450cc Yamaha quadbikes will allow staff to spray more efficiently than ever before. The vehicles could cost up to £6,000 a year but will make the service far more efficient.

The current system sees staff walking the streets of the borough with hand-held spraying units. But the new vehicles can spray directly onto the weeds in a more focused way and quicker. Hand spraying will be greatly reduced.

The quad bike teams will be tackling weeds in parks, streets and other high-profile areas. Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said:

"We have stepped up our weed spraying after feedback from local people. These new bikes mean we can go to a new level in tackling weeds. It also means if we can tackle the weed sites quicker, we free up staff to carry out other duties so it is a far more efficient way of running the service.

"We have to continue to look at innovative ways to tackle issues like this, making sure we are on top of the problem at all times. The spraying is safe and fully compliant with the law and hopefully people will see the benefits of a clean and tidy borough."

Staff freed up by the quicker and more efficient process will be deployed to other duties such as grass cutting in parks, open spaces and verges.