CALLS have been made to tidy up a graveyard in Burnley which has become an “eyesore”.

Some gravestones in the town’s cemetery off Rossendale Road are no longer visible due to overgrown bushes and trees.

They include William K Taylor, who died in action during the First World War, serving with the Royal Fusi-liers and Sergeant Fred Riley, who died in combat at Ypres in Belgium on May 25, 1915, aged 37.

Bags of dead flowers have been left in a pile alongside the pathways in the cemetery whilst some trees are hanging onto the pavement.

One resident was shocked when he found weeds taking over some of the older graves in the lower end of the cemetery.

He said: “It’s upsetting to see the place in such a mess. This place is quickly becoming an eyesore”.

Bill Taylor 62 of Manchester Road said: “I have often thought it is a shame that they don’t do more for these graves.”

Senior councillors from the opposition party have vowed to chase the issue up with the leading Liberal Democrat group.

Leader of the Burnley Labour Party, Coun Julie Cooper, sits on the Environment and Hous-ing Scrutiny Committee.

She said: “It concerns me deeply to hear of any cemetery falling into disarray and I will be raising the issue with the head of the Green Spaces Department.”

Cameron Collinge, Burnley Council's bereavement mana-ger, said: “The majority of the cemetery is mowed regularly during the growing season and there are bins available for people to use for dead flowers etc.

"I can only think this person is referring to the older part of the cemetery where we are testing and making safe the large memorials on each plot.

"This work is being done on a plot by plot basis.”