Cemetery gates locked after 'unacceptable' parking

Parking has been "totally unacceptable", one regular visitor said

Cemetery owners have locked the site's gates to stop commuters using it as a car park, after memorials were damaged.

Bath's Locksbrook Cemetery's front gates are now locked to all vehicles, meaning only pedestrians can enter the site.

The move comes after tombstones were knocked over and a "significant number" of cars were spotted at the cemetery all day.

"Parking has been totally unacceptable, people that have mobility issues have not been able to access their plots due to 15 cars that are here all day to avoid city centre charges," said visitor, Geoffrey Fenton.

Bath and North East Somerset Council, which owns the cemetery, said in recent months there has been a "significant number of vehicles parked for several hours, and many for the whole day, whose drivers do not appear to be visiting the cemetery".

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"Cemetery visitors can continue to use the allocated parking spaces in front of the main gate and pedestrian access has been maintained," they added.

The new parking rules are having a detrimental impact on some bereaved relatives

But, Mr Fenton said the new parking rules have had a detrimental impact on some bereaved relatives who can no longer access the plot of their loved ones.

"The problem is there will be relatives of deceased people that are unable to get close to their plots because of mobility issues and its not fair on people with mobility issues who want to pay their respects," he added.

The cemetery still has five permanent parking spaces just outside the gate.