A FAMILY have been left ‘very upset’ after cemetery staff removed decorations from their baby’s grave.

Craig McDonald and his partner Ebony Walker, 25, from Haslingden, lost their baby Niamh Ellen McDonald 22 weeks and four days into pregnancy in April and she was buried at the infant garden in Accrington Cemetery.

The family decorated the grave, but white stones placed at the site have now been removed by cemetery staff without warning, the family said.

Mr McDonald, from Fields Road in Haslingden, said: “It is the only place we can spend time with her.

"We felt disgusted by the heartless treatment of the situation.

“It just brings it all back up, we were only just getting back to ourselves.”

Niamh was buried at the cemetery on May 9 before the decorative stones were added two months ago.

After going for her 20-week scan, Miss Walker and her partner discovered that the baby had no kidneys.

The couple, who are engaged, are both support workers and have one child, a three-year-old girl called Henni McDonald.

The family noticed the stones had been removed when Mr McDonald’s mother-in-law informed them after visiting the site last week.

The rest of the decorations at the grave, including flowers, balloons and a framed picture remain at the grave.

Initially the family got in contact with Champs Funeral Service, who carried out the funeral, about what happened to the stones but they were unaware they had been moved.

They then got in contact with cemetery staff and Mr McDonald said they told the family they posed an obstruction for the lawnmower and a health and safety risk.

The 27-year-old said: “We just wanted to make it the best place possible.

“We have bought the plot around her grave so we felt we were well within our right to decorate around it. I would have understood if they got in contact with us but they were just removed without warning.”

Cllr Ken Moss, cabinet member for cemeteries, said; “I’m so sorry the family are upset. My heart goes out to them and the last thing anyone here would want to do is cause them any further distress.

“The reason chippings are not allowed on any lawned graves in our cemeteries is that they spread and become embedded into the grass and can then be caught by the mowers and strimmers and flung with some force, with the potential to cause harm to people, vehicles and other headstones in the area.”