Heavy rainfall has disturbed multiple graves in a cemetery in Blackburn,

Pleasington Cemetery on Tower Road was affected by heavy rainfall that led to flooding in multiple parts of the county.

Huge amounts of water led to some of the graves collapsing, and Conservative councillor Tiger Patel says a high number of graves have suffered from subsidence as a result.

He said: "It is disheartening to learn about the challenges posed by surface water and high water tables affecting the current site.

"The situation is evidently far from ideal, particularly when graves are being excavated at the minimum level permissible by law due to the risk of encountering water tables. Furthermore, the absence of a suitable drainage system exacerbates this issue.

"I believe the problem of graves collapsing in the Olive section is due to an excessive amount of surface water and dangerously high water tables. If we compare this to the site next door few meters away, we can see that they do not face such issues because graves there are dug at safe levels, and no water tables are in close proximity.

"Additionally, a suitable drainage system has been installed."

Heavy and persistent rain in northern England saw rain and flood warnings issued across the county this weekend.

Forecasters said more wet and windy weather was due to arrive from the west in the middle of next week, with the outlook 'staying unsettled' and thunderstorms and further flood risk possible.

Heavy rain and extensive flooding hit Lancashire yesterday and resulted in road closures, traffic disruptions and school closures.

The Environment Agency issued six warnings in Lancashire relating to the River Ribble and waterways in Nelson and Brierfield.

The Met Office have issued a yellow weather warning for Blackburn from 1pm to 3am today (Saturday October 7) and covers most parts of East Lancashire.

Cllr Patel continued: "It is imperative that burials do not lead to pollution and should not occur below the water table, as this diminishes the capacity for attenuation and prohibits any direct introduction of hazardous substances into groundwater.

"Consequently, some sites with existing planning permissions, such as established cemeteries, may necessitate some form of intervention to regulate groundwater levels. This may involve artificial drainage and abstraction for removal.

"It is vital to gather any artificially drained groundwater, treat it as contaminated, and dispose of it as foul water. An environmental permit is generally required for such actions unless you possess authorization to discharge it into mains foul drainage."

If you haven’t already done so, you should:

  • Sign up for flood warnings
  • Keep up to date with the latest flood risk situation - call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or follow @EnvAgency and #floodaware on Twitter for the latest flood updates
  • Have a bag ready with vital items like insurance documents and medications in case you need to leave your home
  • Check you know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water mains supplies
  • Plan how you'll move family and pets to safety