BEREAVED relatives woke up to discover that "despicable" vandals had kicked over 14 headstones at a cemetery.

And the attack that levelled the row of stones at Accrington Cemetery is the second such incident to occur in a week -- Dill Hall Lane Cemetery's Wall of Remembrance, in Church, had stones smashed last weekend.

Staff at the Burnley Road cemetery were left with the task of informing families after they discovered it on Friday morning..

Police have stepped up patrols around the cemetery, conducted door to door enquiries and cordoned off the area around the graves so crime scene investigators could investigate.

"These are disgusting and disrespectful acts," said Coun Anne Scaife, Hyndburn Council's portfolio holder for environment and cleansing, who called on the police to take urgent action and asked the community to help catch the culprits.

She said: "I am very upset personally, and on behalf of the relatives.

"I am asking the police for urgent action to ensure that the crematorium is patrolled in the evenings, together with the patrols that the council pays for through a private security firm."

Inspector Phil Cottam, of Accrington police, said: "It is very disheartening for people to find that there is a total lack of respect for cemeteries and such places.

"I would like to reassure people that the police have a patrol plan in relation to such places but we cannot be everywhere at once.

"I would appeal to members of the community who have any information whatsoever, on this or any other crime, to contact the police as a matter of urgency so that we can bring these despicable offenders to the justice of the courts."