REGARDING the remarks (Letters, September 18) on the "tatty" state of Pleasington Cemetery in Blackburn due to ornaments, etc being placed alongside some graves, I can only assume that your correspondent has not had the misfortune of the dreaded mole digging up a grave.

That not only looks tatty, but it is extremely distressing to find moles have dug up half the plot and be faced with the same mess again only a few days later.

We have placed "ornaments" -- a windmill and a wind chime -- on my father's grave as a last resort and for no other reason than to deter the moles.

We did not intentionally break the rules laid down by the council and would not have put them there, given a choice.

We were told by the council that we were just unfortunate that the grave was on a mole run and that they could not help.

These "ornaments" have done the trick and we are now left with a neat and tidy grave where we can visit and lay flowers etc. without the upset of finding the grave "dug up" at every visit.

However, if your correspondent can suggest other ways to deter these pests, I would gladly try them and if they worked would remove my "ornaments." Otherwise, they will remain where they are unless the local council intervenes, which is another story.

I, too, have not had the misfortune of losing a child and cannot begin to understand the grief of those who have. As such, I think we should try to empathise with those who find comfort in placing a teddy bear or small toy at the graveside.

If they find even a small amount of comfort by doing this, then who are we to make judgment or to say what we would or wouldn't do were we unfortunate enough to be in their position.

KAREN HEWITT (Mrs), Cherry Lea, Blackburn.

REGARDING the remarks (Letters, September 18) on the "tatty" state of Pleasington Cemetery in Blackburn due to ornaments, etc being placed alongside some graves, I can only assume that your correspondent has not had the misfortune of the dreaded mole digging up a grave.

That not only looks tatty, but it is extremely distressing to find moles have dug up half the plot and be faced with the same mess again only a few days later.

We have placed "ornaments" -- a windmill and a wind chime -- on my father's grave as a last resort and for no other reason than to deter the moles.

We did not intentionally break the rules laid down by the council and would not have put them there, given a choice. We were told by the council that we were just unfortunate that the grave was on a mole run and that they could not help.

These "ornaments" have done the trick and we are now left with a neat and tidy grave where we can visit and lay flowers etc. without the upset of finding the grave "dug up" at every visit.

However, if your correspondent can suggest other ways to deter these pests, I would gladly try them and if they worked would remove my "ornaments." Otherwise, they will remain where they are unless the local council intervenes, which is another story.

I, too, have not had the misfortune of losing a child and cannot begin to understand the grief of those who have. As such, I think we should try to empathise with those who find comfort in placing a teddy bear or small toy at the graveside.

If they find even a small amount of comfort by doing this, then who are we to make judgment or to say what we would or wouldn't do were we unfortunate enough to be in their position.

KAREN HEWITT (Mrs), Cherry Lea, Blackburn.