CONCERNED parents have accused Bury Council of not doing enough to ban a weed killer linked to cancer.

The authority called a halt on using glyphosate in parks and playgrounds across the borough last month due to public concerns around its safety.

At a meeting last week, the council’s cabinet agreed to commission a full review into the matter before taking further action.

However, Rachel Getliffe from Pesticide Free Bury has accused the council of not going far enough and has called for a complete ban on the use of the herbicide as soon as possible.

She said: “They are continuing to spray this on the streets.

“They say the evidence is inconsistent, but we are asking for a precautionary approach. We have carried out surveys that show people in Bury do not want their streets spraying with this.

"Bury could save tens of thousands by not spraying these harmful pesticides."

Glyphosate is properly licensed and is used across the country by the farming industry and many others; it is also available in shops across the borough and used by residents in their own gardens.

In May, a US jury ordered agribusiness giant Monsanto to pay more than $2 billion to a couple claiming the company’s weed killer, Roundup, caused their cancers.

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organisation’s cancer agency, concluded that glyphosate was “probably carcinogenic to humans”. However, several other agencies continue to declare it as safe, and many scientific studies have found no link to cancer.

Despite the conflicting evidence, Roundup has been banned by several local authorities across the country.

Announcing the review, council leader Cllr Rishi Shori said: “The use of glyphosates has caused concern among Bury residents, and we feel it is only right to take a comprehensive look at its use. This review will give us the opportunity to look at what viable alternatives there are.”

To take part in Pesticide Free Bury's survey, visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZJCFS5J.