'Family stuggles to reach graves in overgrown yard'

Mac and Sue Mills visit the graveyard regularly and have described the state of it as "horrific"

An overgrown graveyard has led to complaints with one family saying it was difficult to reach loved ones resting places.

Sue Mills, 72, has a number of family members in St Peter’s Church in Upper Gornal, Dudley. She said overgrown grass meant her husband struggled to put flowers on his mothers plot.

She said it was "horrific". Upper Gornal and Woodsetton councillor Adam Aston called for the grass to be cut more frequently.

Dudley Council said it would send someone out to inspect the graveyard.

The church is no longer open and the authority has the responsibility for carrying out the work.

It said it carried out strimming work within the churchyard twice a year and grass cutting three times per year.

Families have complained it is impossible to lay flowers by graves

Mrs Mills and husband, Mac, aged 78, visit the Kent Street churchyard once a month to tend the graves of his parents and other relatives including twins who died aged eight and nine who would have grown up to be his uncle and aunt.

She said they were going to put flowers on the graves but due to the state of the graveyard she had said to say there was no way they could battle through it.

Among the graves are those of two fallen soldiers

On another visit the couple found grass had been cut on one side of the plot and managed to struggle over uneven ground to place flowers on his parents’ grave.

Mrs Mills added: “Those graves belong to somebody, there are the graves of people who fought for our country, it is disgusting they should lie there like that."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Birmingham on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]