MEMORIAL gardens in a Ribble Valley village could be set for a make-over after becoming overgrown.

Mellor War Memorial Gardens were created in the 1920s to mark the sacrifice of the men from the parish who lost their lives during the First World War.

Residents have contacted the parish council to raise concerns over the trees becoming overgrown ahead of the centenary of the Great War later this year.

An arboriculture assessment of the gardens in Church Lane is currently being produced with the report being presented to the parish council at their meeting next Thursday, June 5.

The gardens are set out in the shape of a cross and feature names of the men who lost their lives from the First World War onwards.

Parish council chairman Pat Young said: “It’s a focal point for the village and people use them all the time.

“The parish council is the body responsible for maintaining the gardens and this is a good opportunity to get this work done.

“It will be a make-over for the garden ahead of the centenary.

“Some of the trees might be diseased but we will have to wait for the report to be published.

“The memorial cross in the gardens was vandalised a couple of years ago and you can still see the spot where we had to get it repaired.

“If it goes ahead the number of the trees could be cut down which will make it a lot lighter and the beds will be tidied up a lot.”

Amma Sue Williams from St Mary’s Church said: “It’s a good spot for remembrance and people always tell me how lovely they are.

“But it’s like anything else and they need a tidy up every now and again and this is an ideal chance for the parish council to do this.

“They are very important for the village and we process up there every year on Remembrance Sunday. The gardens have become part of village life and you could not imagine Mellor without them.”