A WOMAN has spoken of her anguish after discovering the graveyard where family members are buried was so overgrown she could not see the grave.

Gail Hummer’s grandad Robert, nan Ethel and dad Jack have all been laid to rest in Blackburn Old Cemetery, Whalley New Road.

But she said her latest visit to pay her respects have been blighted by the appearance of the graveyard.

She has contacted Blackburn with Darwen Council about the problem, who have said it has become more difficult to cut the grass due to funding pressures.

Ms Hummer, who lives in Langho, said: “My grandad, nan and dad are buried in the cemetery, all in the same grave.

“I go over there three times a year usually.

“When I arrived at the cemetery during my last visit, it was in such a state and I couldn’t find the grave as the grass was overgrown and knee-height in length.I must have been there for about half an hour looking.

“So I’ve contacted the council who said they don’t have the money to cut the grass.”

Ms Hummer said she had to contact The Friends of Blackburn Old Cemetery and a volunteer there managed to locate the grave and clear the dead grass off it.

She added: “I’ll have to go there with a spade now and take the grass off the edges.

“I think it’s extremely disrespectful to people buried in the cemetery to leave it in this state.”

A council spokesman said: “There is unfortunately no increased funding for cemeteries at the moment and the council has had to reduce and stop delivering some services.

“It has also become more difficult to cut the grass at Blackburn and Darwen old cemeteries as many of the graves are old and have sunk and headstones have moved naturally.

“Each grave is sold on a lease basis for 100 years and the maintenance of the grave is down to the leaseholder, not the council. The council is only responsible for the grass around the graves."

“We cut the grass three times a year during the summer and early autumn season, as we have done for a number of years, but this has become less and less effective because of the state of the graves.”

A group called Good Friends, made up of businesses, friends of the cemetery groups and volunteers, has taken responsibility for maintaining the cemeteries.

They are applying for grant funding to improve the spaces.