TWO cemeteries overgrown with long grass and weeds sparked complaints to the council.

Adam Duda sent the Adver pictures of the overgrown grounds at Whitworth Road Cemetery, saying 'it looks like it has been abandoned' and had been like it for weeks.

And Paul Wiltshire says it was the same when he went to visit his dad's grave at Kingsdown Cemetery.

Paul, of Royal Wootton Bassett, went to visit his dad Douglas' grave on May 29.

When he got there, he was shocked to find the cemetery in a state, with weeds, overgrown grass and litter.

He said: “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.”

Paul, who was going on the anniversary of his dad’s death, felt it spoiled the visit as he usually finds the area calm with relaxing surroundings.

"It was a horrendous situation – like they had just taken all the gardeners away.

“I took my mum Betty with me. Even she said ‘this doesn’t look the same anymore’.

“There is so much going on with Covid but they can’t use that as an excuse – it’s like rubbing salt in the wounds, especially for people who have lost someone this year.

The 56-year-old added: "It’s upsetting because it’s meant to be a moment of reflection, so it’s disappointing if you’re not going to sit in pretty grounds."

He contacted Swindon Borough Council, which manages the site.

A council spokesperson said: “Thanks to the recent May weather, our standard maintenance routines at the cemetery have been impacted.

“Due to the rain, we were unable to apply our weed killer as early as we would have liked but this has now been done.

"The wet weather also caused higher grass growth which means it would have been longer than normal.

“There has been a significant rise in the number of people attending the site as lockdown restrictions have eased, which has unfortunately led to more litter despite the availability of bins and regular litter collections.

“People visiting the site are urged to use the bins available or to take their rubbish home with them.”