COUNCIL bosses are set for a cash bonus to tidy up a rundown East Lancashire cemetery after war veterans complained it was a disgrace to their fallen comrades.

The War Graves Commission is to send an inspector to the Blackburn Cemetery, off Whalley New Road, to examine Blackburn with Darwen Council's maintenance standards.

The move, which could lead to extra grant cash to tidy up the area, comes after commission bosses read in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph about how the graves were in a dilapidated state.

The commission, which relies on public funding to maintain 13,000 war grave sites across the country, said it was hoping for an above inflation increase in its annual £350,000 budget and said the extra cash may be spent on improving Blackburn Cemetery.

Council bosses today welcomed the prospect of extra money and said they were grateful for any help. Tom Neary, 81, of Ightenhill Park Lane, Blackburn, complained about the state of the cemetery in November and slammed the council for not doing more to look after the graves, which are still in a run-down condition.

But today the veteran, who fought at Dunkirk with the East Lancashire Regiment in 1940 and again after the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944 and 1945, said: "It's wonderful news. Hopefully it might also shake up the other towns in Lancashire to sort out their war graves. It's a disgrace and it's been going on far too long. It's about time something was done."

Blackburn with Darwen Council, which in November said improvement work was part of its winter maintenance programme, today insisted the work would be done but the cemetery had still to be tackled.

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen council said: "We would obviously welcome any extra money because then we could clearly do more with our stretched resources. We are committed to keeping the graves well maintained and respecting the memory of those who are buried there." David Symons, director of the War Graves Commission, said: "I have asked my district inspector to visit the site when next in the area and review the maintenance agreement currently in place.

"It is hoped that we will be able to introduce a more detailed specification that will allow better standards of maintenance for the war graves than is currently the case.

"While much does depend upon resources I hope this demonstrates that we are actively pursuing a programme of improvements within a changing and challenging environment." Mr Symons maintained things would not change overnight.

Ray Tucker, 53, of Whalley Old Road, a member of the Blackburn Queen's Lancashire Regiment, said: "This is good news for everyone concerned. If you go round most towns you will find the state of their graveyards are much the same as they are here so this is brilliant news."

Chairman of the Blackburn branch of the Royal British Legion, Brian Barnes, said: "If somebody's going to go round and look at the cemetery then I'd say it's definitely good news."