AN angry relative says nettles, brambles and long grass in Radnor Street cemetery are making it difficult for people to pay their respects.

Sue Williams, who has been visiting the graves of her father and grandparents for the past 20 years, said: “It’s unbelievable as some of those graves you wouldn’t even be able to get at because of the brambles.

“We haven’t got the heavy-duty gardening tools to do it and it’s hard work to shift. So to let it go to that degree is nonsensical really.”

She said the comparison with the care and attention given to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission graves was painful.

“They stand out like a sore thumb because they’re kept lovely. I feel to allow it to go downhill is disrespectful.

“If you can’t respect the dead, you don’t have respect for anyone. They’re past Swindonians, so it’s completely unacceptable.

“It will take twice as long to get it back under control when it gets like that. I don’t know where the staff are. I know what the council will say, it’s the weather and we’ve had rain but it’s not that.”

It’s not the first time she has complained to the borough council or the Adver about the state of the cemetery. In 2013 she detailed the same problem.

“I don’t know why it happens. Not much has changed in eight years – I think it’s appalling.”

Sue, who made trips on May 16 and then on June 20 and 21 to try to clear some of the growth, said: “There is no excuse for a cemetery to be allowed to be neglected.

“Other cemeteries are kept up nicely because you can’t see them from the road but Radnor Street isn’t openly viewed by the public until you go in – so it’s out of sight, out of mind.”

Earlier this month, the Adver reported complaints from relatives about long grass and weeds at two other cemeteries.

Paul Wiltshire was shocked at the state of the Kingsdown site when he went to visit his dad’s grave. “There were weeds all over my dad’s grave.

“It was left to wrack and ruin. The grass hadn’t even been cut. I was gob-smacked at the state,” he said.

And Adam Duda said the Whitworth Road burial ground looked like it had been abandoned.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “We always try our very best to keep our cemeteries well maintained, but the recent unpredictable weather has caused the grass to grow at a rapid rate that our teams can’t keep up with.

“Part of Radnor Street Cemetery, which no longer takes new burials, is also a nature reserve which adds to the complications when it comes to maintenance.

“We have been contacted by residents and will be working closely with them to ensure we keep the site well cared for.”