CUTTING the grass once a month at Trowbridge cemetery is not enough according to a number of residents who have complained to Wiltshire Council about its overgrowing length.

The cemetery in The Down was visited by contractors over the weekend to cut the grass, which was said to be at knee length, after a number of people voiced their anger at the lack of action by the council.

One resident was Pamela Ayliffe, of Hargreaves Road who visits her son’s grave at the cemetery on a weekly basis.

“When I went up last week, the grass was up to my knees,” the 66-year-old said.

“I’ve had to cut the grass around my son’s stone because if I don’t do it regularly, no one else will.

“I’ve asked the council why not through the summer months couldn’t they cut it once a fortnight and subsidise that with the winter cutting but I was told outright that they wouldn’t be cutting it at all in the winter.

“It was cut alright but it is only good enough for the meantime.

“Within two weeks, the problem will be back again and it is ridiculous that it gets up to knee length in the first place.”

Others share similar concerns regarding the frequency of the grass cutting in the summer months including Christine Prince, 52 of Princess Gardens who said on Father’s Day, many people were at the cemetery cutting the area around the graves of their relatives.

“We pay for these plots and for them to be looked after like that, I think it is very disrespectful,” she said.

“It has become really bad recently and we have complained before but it has never been this bad. When they do cut the grass, they leave it all behind and it makes the grave stones untidy.

“It is not a good reflection on the council at all. It is included in our council tax and you would expect some of that to go towards the upkeep of the cemetery.”

Wiltshire Council have said they maintain their cemeteries on a “regular basis” and will not change their practice of cutting the grass every four weeks.

A spokesman added: “The same standard is applied to cutting the grass in other public areas. This will continue to be the case throughout the growing season, regardless of when it ends.”