COUNCIL chiefs today said they will not step up security at a Blackburn cemetery, despite appeals from the public to stop it being vandalism.

The statement from Blackburn with Darwen council follows complaints that nothing is being done to protect graves in the Old Blackburn Cemetery, off Whalley New Road.

Alison Lynch, of Francis Street, Mill Hill, slammed council bosses for failing to fulfil a promise -- made in August after she complained that her parents' grave had been vandalised -- to make the cemetery more secure.

Alison first protested about continual vandalism and poor maintenance of the cemetery last September and in August council bosses promised to sort the problem out.

She said: "The only thing that has changed is that leaves are now on the floor, covering the damage a council worker did with a strimmer to my parents' grave.

"I was promised I would be told what was going on. I have heard nothing, probably because nothing has been done.

"I think the council think because it is an old cemetery no-one cares but we do. Pleasington cemetery is lovely. Why can't this one be the same?"

Two members of the Blackburn branch of the Royal British Legion, Tom Neary and Ray Tucker, also said the council was not doing enough to maintain the war graves in the cemetery -- most of which are covered by long grass and weeds.

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said they were doing their best to solve the problem: "People say we should lock the gates but then others say they don't have access so we block vehicle access at night and keep pedestrian access available at all times." The council added that the site was too big to be monitored by live patrols as vandals often waited until watchmen had made their way to another part of the cemetery before causing trouble. They had had security guards at the site but they were proving ineffective.

They added that the council was working in partnership with the police and local people in an attempt to make the graveyard a better place and said they would respond to any reported incident.

Alison was also reassured that the council be contacting her shortly regarding her parents' grave.