ON Mothering Sunday, I made a journey to visit my parents' grave in Blackburn Cemetery.

Friends have told me that Blackburn Cemetery is not the place for an elderly lady to visit alone, so my visits have been sparse, but I felt content in the knowledge that the cemetery was secured and that the grave did not require maintenance.

I was totally unprepared for the desolation and apparent neglect of a place of rest for hundreds of people, many of whom worked all their lives, under appalling conditions in the cotton mills and other industrial concerns, not to mention their contribution to two world wars.

The reason for my feelings of shock, sadness, disbelief, and finally anger, was the overall scene as I walked up from the main gates. There were broken, dismantled gravestones, headstones, crosses and angels, many lying on the ground or drunkenly leaning against others which had not yet suffered the same fate.

I went on, up the hill, to the area of my parents' grave. It could not be seen from a distance because the white headstone was now lying where it had been pushed off its base, with the securing metal prongs snapped off.

The surrounding kerbs had been lifted bodily off their secure level bases, and the interior, with what was left of the green chippings looked as though it had been jumped on until it cracked.

This and many other graves looked like the work of mindless. thoughtless people. Is this all these people think of their own families?

When we read of offenders doing community service, we never know what this entails. Perhaps they could be taken to the cemetery and, under supervision, be taught how to erect gravestones which have been damaged.

It would appear that the civic duty of maintaining and securing the town cemetery is being grossly neglected. While lack of funds and vandalism might be the reasons for such a sad state of affairs, I hope the council will think of a way to repair the damage already done.

A guard dog when the gates are locked would deter any future vandals, and a regular and frequent inspection of the perimeter wall, with quick repair if necessary, would indicate that the local authority of Blackburn really does still have the sense of civic pride which I remember.

MARJORIE DUNN, Boston Close, Bramhall, Cheshire.

FOOTNOTE: Eddie Runswick, Director of Community and Leisure Services said: "The cemetery is not neglected. The grass is cut regularly and the area is maintained as best we can given the resources that are available. Vandalism, unfortunately, is a constant problem - as it is elsewhere - and we have to lay many gravestones down for safety reasons when they have been damaged. We would like to be able to do more but, as with other areas of activity, we have to work within the resources that are available and we believe we give value for money.

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