'˜I can't even put flowers down on my dad's grave'

Coral Hall, 23, visits Marton burial ground on Preston New Road every month to put flowers on the grave of her dad, Raymond Hall, who died from cancer in 2001, aged 69.

Now she says the weeds in the graveyard have become so out of control that she can no longer make her way to his grave.

She said: “The whole site is just horrendous. There was a lady there actually trying to climb through. It’s so disrespectful.

“I can’t even put flowers down on my dad’s grave.

“I was in tears. I was so upset because I couldn’t even see his grave.

“I would have just been putting flowers down on a pile of grass.”

Concerns were raised over the state of the Marton burial ground two years ago, after £93m of cuts to Blackpool Council budgets meant the authority could no longer afford to keep the grass short as a gesture of goodwill to St Paul’s Church, which is responsible for the land.

The news came six years after Blackpool Council and the Friends of Marton Burial Ground vowed to maintain the land.

St Paul’s Church warden Diane Emery said: “Unfortunately we can only afford to have the grass cut once a month or so.

“We are currently trying to organise a community get-together so that people can, if they want, contribute to the upkeep of the graveyard.

“Because of the weather the grass has been growing very quickly and we are struggling to keep up.

“We’re sorry this lady has been upset.

“If she would like to call into the church we will do our best to try and help her.”