I HAVE just come into possession of some old family documents and, while reading through them, I had occasion to note that my paternal great grand-parents are both interred at Heaton Cemetery -- something that I was previously unaware of -- and I decided that, on my next free day, I would visit the grave with some floral token.

I visited the offices at the crematorium and got details of exactly where the plot was and went on my way. When I got to the place that I had directions for, I was, to say the least, shocked and very disgusted at the state of not just my relatives last resting place, but of other graves in the area. The kerb stones surrounding the grave had been uprooted and overturned at some time in the past and had not been returned to their place, and the grave itself, along with many others, was terribly overgrown.

I did, however, notice that many, many other graves nearer the crematorium side

of the cemetery were very well maintained and the grass was well cut and cared for. Is this a case of the staff there not doing their jobs "too well", or simply a case of "out of sight and therefore out of mind"? I also noted that there was no headstone, yet I have been told by living relatives that there was a small memorial on the grave as late as the early '70s they think. Where has that gone?

It's bad enough when you read about graves being vandalised and violated by young yobs for no reason whatsoever, but when they are just left to get into this condition by the staff who are supposed to tender them, then it really is disrespectful.

Trevor Lester

Halliwell

Bolton