Upset as Farnworth Cemetery left a mess after grass is cut

Trevor Ball says that no respect is being shown with grass cuttings strewn all over the graves.

Mr Ball visited the cemetery to lay flowers for his mum on Sunday, June 2, but was disgusted to find that once again, grass cuttings had been strewn all over many of the graves.

Mr Ball called it ‘disrespectful’  saying this was not the first time cemetery had been left like this.

He said: “I noticed they had been cutting the grass, but the cutting was all over the graves covering the flowers and we have had it before, but they do not take any notice.

“They do not pay any respect to what they are doing, and some people pay a lot of money for these headstones, and it is quite upsetting when it is all messed up like that.

“It happens every time they cut the grass.

“It makes you annoyed because my mother is buried there you do not want to see grass cuttings all over it, it is disrespectful.”

Farnworth North ward Cllr Sue Haworth said the issues were known to her as there were previous concerns of grass not being cut at all.

She said: “We’ve had a few months this year where the grass has been really high, and the grass cutting was not carried out in timely fashion.

“Cemeteries should be prioritised for maintenance and smartness above other grass areas the council looks after.

“ Residents were told that on some occasions, the grass would be given a general cut before a team was back to tidy up.

Cllr Haworth said: “I know some residents, in the latter weeks of May, were told there would be a ‘rough grass cut’ at Farnworth Cemetery then later visits would make it look much tidier.

“As ward councillor, I can’t support that. Calling something a ‘rough cut’ just doesn’t chime one bit with what we need at our cemetery.

“We need as pleasant a setting as we can for people to visit their loved ones.”

READ MORE: Bolton: Longsight Cemetery transformed by volunteers

READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers player killed in World War One buried

READ MORE: Horwich widow blasts 'awful' theft of items from husband's grave

Mr Ball argued he was not expecting the cemetery to mirror ‘the royal gardens’ but expected basic cutting and general upkeep.

He said: “There are also war graves here too.

“The grass doesn’t even get cut properly and it is a bad job and a total mess.

“The first grave you come to is of a child and I have even seen people cutting it themselves.

“There was a guy cutting around a child’s grave and tidying around it.

“If you are going to be tending to grave you need to have some compassion for what you are doing.”