A BALLINGRY family were very unhappy when they paid a father's day visit to the grave of a much loved member.

Mrs Lorraine Watt and her daughter Pamela Rowley went to the cemetery last weekend only to find bins overflowing and the grass long on many graves.

It is not the first time, they claimed, they had found this situation and they had on several occasions complained to the council about it.

Pamela said: "We are very unhappy at the way we often find our cemetery.

"On several occasions my partner has had to take his strimmer when we visit to tidy up the grave.

"Surely that is not right at all and also the bins were totally full with material lying beside these.

"We took items home to put in our rubbish bins just to try and make the place look tidier."

Added Lorraine: "It is surely not right that my son-in-law has to take his own strimmer to keep our plot tidy. The council is not showing families' any respect".

Liz Murphy, Bereavement Services Manager, confirmed that the grass is cut on a 10 working day cycle, weather permitting; and is dependent on burial commitments.

Bins are emptied weekly but the council does encourage people to take their rubbish home with them to recycle it where possible.

She said: "I'm sorry to hear of this concern and would like to offer my reassurances to visitors that staff are working hard to make sure they deliver on the planned maintenance schedule at Ballingry Cemetery.

"The grass was cut both last week and again today (Thursday). Understandably the bins in our cemeteries do fill up quickly around the time of Father's Day and were therefore emptied them again on Monday."