The grandson of a Second World War veteran has condemned the "awful and unacceptable" state of the Chessington cemetery his hero grandfather is buried in.
Mark Creed: "I cleared as much of the grass as I could by hand to take a picture to send to my mother."
Mark Creed, 55, made his annual trip to visit his grandfather’s war grave at the cemetery in St Mary the Virgin Church’s grounds in Garrison Lane on Sunday.
When he got there he found the yard was unkempt and overgrowing grass meant that the graves and tributes were hard to see.
He said: "The whole place was just looking awful. Is this any way to treat our war heroes?
"I visit every year and this is the worst it has ever been.
"There are about eight war graves there. We are always talking about looking after our heroes and I just don’t think this is a good way to treat them.
"I go because my mother likes to know that someone has been to visit her father every year. When I got there the British Legion had put a wooden cross down but you could hardly see it because of all the overgrown grass.
"I am moving away next year and I don’t want to think of my grandfather’s or the other graves being kept like that."
Mr Creed, from Surbiton, added had he known about the state of the cemetery, he would have volunteered to help clean it up.
Kingston Council, which recently won gold status as a burial authority for services to the bereaved, is responsible for the upkeep of the graveyard.
It has commissioned this job out to contractor Quadron since 2006.
A spokeswoman for the church said Quadron had been called about the overgrowing grass more than a week ago.
She added staff at the church often ended up cutting the bushes around the graveyard when they got out of control.
Chessington South Councillor Patricia Bamford said: "I am not sure what has gone on here and I fully understand why this person is upset."
- Got a story? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6318 or email rachael.burford@london.newsquest.co.uk
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