AN MP's call to slash the wages of British gardeners tending war graves abroad has been criticised by Bolton veterans.

Ex-servicemen queued up to vent their anger at Labour's former junior consumer minister Nigel Griffiths who claimed the gardeners earned up to £64,000 in wages and allowances.

Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South-east, has also fuelled the debate by disagreeing with his party colleague.

He said: "I am against the reduction of gardeners' current wages and any loss of staff.

"I would be extremely dismayed if the current high level of upkeep of cemeteries for our war dead is reduced by any future proposals.

"I think it's important to many people whose relatives lost lives due to the first and second world wars to know that their family members are being respected and cared for."

Bolton's former fighters are furious that members of the Government, with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, are calling for British gardeners to be replaced by cheaper local people.

The potential move has been slammed as "penny-pinching" and a slur on the country's war dead.

Tom McFarlene, a 75-year-old ex-Navy man from Farnworth, recently travelled to Dunkirk where many of Britain's soldiers are buried.

He said: "These cemeteries are full of all the young lads who died while fighting for our country. Money should not come into it at all.

"The people who are calling for these gardeners to be replaced or to have their income reduced should go to one of the cemeteries and read the inscriptions on the gravestones.

"Maybe then they will show respect."

The call to reassess British gardeners tending to war graves has sparked outcry from the Transport and General Workers Union as well as ex-servicemen.

Joining the ranks of the angry is Ken Burgess, a 74-year-old, also from Farnworth, who served in the Merchant Navy during the second world war.

He said: "There should not be this fuss. These lads no matter who they are or for who they served died in honour.

"We should be paying respect to them not squabbling over saving money.

"It's penny-pinching and it's wrong."

The fuss centres around claims that the British gardeners are paid thousands of pounds in extra living allowances for tending to graves abroad.

Mr Iddon said he had written to the secretary of state for defence, Geoffrey Hoon, raising some of his constituents' concerns.

He said: "This will be raised in Parliament at Question Time by people like myself."