Families’ flowers trashed in graveyard

Belton man David Maxfield is appalled that cut grass was flung over Mothers’ Day flowers placed in St Andrew’s Churchyard, to cover headstones and most of the graves themselves.

The 44-year-old said: “We have always maintained my mother’s grave in the churchyard and kept it nice. But this week whoever had cut the grass had done it with no care at all. New flowers were ruined and everything was covered in grass. My father, who is in his seventies, went to visit my mother’s grave and came back quite upset.

“It’s not happened before but it did make me angry. We had taken a mix of daffodils, carnations and roses and they were all spoilt.”

The Rev Ian Walker of Epworth’s St Andrew’s Parish Church said he had received no other complaints, and that the upkeep of the graveyard was contracted out to North Lincolnshire Council.

He added: “If the family concerned would like to get in touch we will see what we can do about this.”

A spokesperson for North Lincolnshire Council said: “Every care is taken to ensure that floral displays are not damaged whilst grass cutting is taking place. We apologise for any distress caused to the families.

“It was the first grass cut of the season last week and with the mixture of long grass and damp ground conditions the clippings have stuck to some of the floral displays.

“We will make every effort to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”