CARELESS cyclists are being asked to put the brakes on their churchyard short-cuts.

Parish officials in Leyland have banned the troublemakers from using St Andrew's Church's graveyard after mourners complained.

They said that disrespectful cyclists are taking advantage of a public footpath, which runs through the sacred ground, in Church Road, linking the town centre to a housing estate.

The problem-hit church has had to deal with other incidents of vandalism and gangs of youths congregating in the grounds in recent months.

Now vicar Keith Horsfall hopes new signs, positioned near the main gates, will put an end to the trouble.

He said: "The cyclist incident is the latest in a long line of problems we have had in our graveyard and it has to stop.

"The cyclists are tearing through our grounds and disturbing people who were in their to mourn their relatives.

"We don't want to create a situation where people can't come into the graveyard. All we want is a little respect."

But Mr Horsfall added: "Unfortunately, we have a network of footpaths running through our graveyards, which are public rights of way.

"We can't do anything about that but we have to stop the nuisance that is being caused by a small minority."

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