Cemetery usage prompts council decision to close

This is the view of William Boyd, support services manager at Adur and Worthing councils, written in response to a complaint about the overgrown state of the South Farm Road cemetery.

Linda Thorne, of New Road, Durrington, wrote to the council after continually finding her sister Hazle’s grave overgrown and covered in branches and brambles.

Mr Boyd’s response said: “Most parts of the site are managed as wildflower meadows throughout the spring and summer period.

“As with all local authorities, our budgets and staffing levels have been cut severely by central government in recent years as part of their ongoing campaign of austerity measures and realistically, this semi-natural regime is the only way we can maintain the cemetery as we simply do not have the resources to do more cuts.

“I am sorry that you find the maintenance regime in place inappropriate and upsetting, but we need to use our limited resources predominately within our active cemeteries.”

Mrs Thorne said the reply made her angry, adding: “Surely we are not the only family who visit a relative who has passed away?