FAMILIES of relatives buried at two cemeteries say unmaintained grass is 'disrespectful' to their lost ones. 

Relatives of those buried at St Michael's Church, Hamworthy, and Branksome Cemetery, Branksome, have urged BCP Council to cut the grass. 

Kay Leach visited her parents and grandparents who are buried in St Michael's and was left shocked at the state of their graves, unable to cut through the grass to reach them. 

She said: "I used to live in Hamworthy and I would walk past that grave every day to go to school, back and forth and I have never seen it in such a bad state. 

"I think it's wholly disrespectful; I couldn't stand by the grave and I had to get my husband to walk all over it and lay the flowers that we bought because I physically couldn't get there."

Kay's dad, Peter Irven, died aged 92 in September 2023 and was buried with his parents and his wife, Helen Irven, who died aged 51. 

Kay said Peter kept his wife's ashes with him after her death but decided once he died he wanted to bury her beside him to bring them together again.

Janet Trent, 70, shared Kay's frustrations after being unable visit her grandad's grave who was a soldier in World War One. 

Janet said: "It's just disgusting, it's a war grave so I've contacted the War Grave Commissions, the council, I've done all sorts and it's upsetting when you see people unable to get to their relatives. 

"My friend's got a four-and-a-half-month boy buried in there and she's not able to get over to him."

Sir Robert Syms, incumbent MP for Poole, has spoken with BCP Council about the quality of graveyards in the conurbation after another upset resident said a daughter was unable to tend her mum's grave in Branksome. 

He said: "I think the local authority does need to keep these cemeteries in a reasonable state of tidy so that people feel the graves of their relatives are respected. 

"People feel strongly about these issues and I think this should be a priority of the council."

A spokesperson for BCP Council said: “The dedicated team are halfway through Branksome Cemetery’s first grass cut of the year.

"Resources are being redirected from other BCP cemeteries, where the first yearly cut has been completed, to support with this.

“Private contractors and private volunteers take care of the maintenance of St. Michael’s Churchyard, with a council team assisting with the grass cutting, solely in the furthest, oldest section of the cemetery.

“We carry out four cuts within this section per year, and the first cut of the year is scheduled by our team this month.”

St Michael’s churchyard is maintained by the church with a council team assisting in some areas.