Managers of the company responsible for cleaning the borough's streets have promised angry residents they will clear the borough of weeds by the end of the month.

Residents at last Thursday's Acton Area Committee meeting hurled complaints at the managers of Cardinal, who were given a four-year contract for the borough's refuse collection and street cleansing service in April last year, but will be given the boot unless they clear the streets by July 31.

A Cardinal manager told residents: 'We have promised to clear the weeds by July 31 and we intend to succeed.

'Judge us on what we do between now and the end of July and between now and the next meeting in September.

'We're very keen to work with the residents in the future.

'The only way to get their confidence is if we come along to these meetings.'

He added that he was unable to go into the reasons why Cardinal had been unable to perform efficiently, but that problems within the company were being addressed.

The council's environment director John Birch told residents the ground maintenance contracts in Pitshanger and Acton had been particularly slow and the company had been penalised and set targets.

'They have to come up to standard very quickly if they are to have a future in the community.

'Their performance is poor but they've said they will kill the weeds by the end of this month and if they don't do what they say they will do in that time, we will be bringing in alternative contractors.'

At a meeting of the full council two days earlier, Councillor Gurcharan Singh, the cabinet member in charge of environmental improvement, was told by the Conservatives to 'get a grip or stand down'.

'Drastic action needs to be taken before the environment and infrastructure of this borough are irrevocably damaged,' said Conservative Councillor Nigel Sumner. Mr Singh told The Times complaints from residents throughout the borough totalled around 100 per week and the situation was being monitored on a daily basis.

'The problems the company has had are staff and management, but it's their problem, not our problem, and they have to sort it out,' he said.

'At the end of the day, we need a perfect service and full compliance with the council contract.'