A WOMAN today pleaded with council bosses to act so her parents can rest in peace, not vandalism, at a Blackburn cemetery.

Alison Lynch, of Francis Street, Mill Hill, claims Blackburn with Darwen Council has not even replied to, let alone acted on, a letter she sent to them almost a year ago complaining about vandalism and poor maintenance of the Old Blackburn Cemetery in Whalley New Road, Blackburn.

Alison, who regularly visits the cemetery to tend to her parents' grave said dozens of headstones and ornaments have been vandalised, but there are no visible signs of action being taken to combat the problem.

However, the damage to her parents' grave was done by council workers, not criminals, she says.

She said: "I wrote to them on September 16 last year, when an object left on my parents' grave was destroyed by a strimmer used by a council workman.

"Nearly a year on, nothing has been done about it, or at least they haven't told me about it.

"There is a child's grave near to my parents' grave which has an angel statue on it. Its head and wings have been stolen and damaged, while all sorts of criminal activity goes on in the cemetery as a whole.

"I want my parents to rest in peace, not vandalism."

Accrington's cemeteries have, set up between the police and council officials to work out how the vandalism, which included a racist attack on the graves of three Asian babies a fortnight ago, can be combated.

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "We would urge anyone who sees anything untoward to contact us. We are sorry we haven't replied to Mrs Lynch but we will be in contact with her to discuss her problems."