Bolton's Heaton Cemetery overgrown on Father's Day

Heaton Cemetery in Bolton described as full of weeds, with one resident claiming that some weeds were six feet tall.

Alan and Naomi Bowden, both aged 68 and of Smithills, had plans to visit both of their father’s graves at cemeteries in Bolton.

But they were left shocked when they arrived at Heaton Cemetery to find that the grave of Naomi’s late father was inaccessible from being covered with overgrown vegetation.

Alan described how some of the weeds in the cemetery were six feet tall

Alan said: “The areas surrounding the graves have not been mowed for weeks and some weeds were six feet high, the bins were overflowing and there was general rubbish all around.

“We had to go to B&Q to buy a battery strimmer to even get near the grave. We were bitterly disappointed as were many others who approached us at the time to borrow our strimmer, until the battery finally ran out.”

Alan compared the state of Heaton Cemetery to Westhoughton Cemetery, which they visited to pay respects to Alan’s father.

He said: “We went to Westhoughton cemetery to remember my father Ron and there was hardly a blade of grass out of place, there was plenty of room in the bins, no visible rubbish – it was beautiful in the Sunday sunshine.

Heaton Cemetery on the left, vs Westhoughton Cemetery on the right

“My wife has got four members of her family at Heaton Cemetery. I don’t understand, if it’s the same council why is one good and one bad.”

A spokesperson for Bolton Council spoke on the issue, saying: “Older sections of the cemetery cannot be cut with mowers and have to be strimmed because there are kerbs around many of the grave spaces which prevent access with a mower.

“A change in our ground maintenance arrangements has resulted in a delay at Heaton Cemetery however a revised programme has been implemented and we are now working our way through Heaton Cemetery.”