Invasive mares tail weed ruins trip to Warrington Cemetery

The woman travelled ‘many miles’ from outside of the area to visit the graveside of a lost loved one, only to find the Manchester Road site overgrown with long weeds.

Such was the ‘disgusting’ state of the cemetary, she was unable to access the graveside and had to go home without seeking comfort at her relative’s plot.

Her family are now calling for more to be done to tackle the weeds and bring the grounds to a ‘presentable standard’.

The woman’s brother told the Warrington Guardian: “Our family have for many generations buried within the grounds of the Warrington Cemetery on Manchester Road, where we have spent many hours seeking comfort and paying respects to those passed.

“Recently, my sister drove many miles to visit our family graves, only to discover the burial areas fully overgrown with weeds and no signs of any maintenance. Even the waste bins appear to have been removed.

“She left deeply upset without being able to access the grave sides.

“While we all appreciate council money is especially tight, I am sure many will share our dissatisfaction at the disgusting state the cemetery has been left to deteriorate to.

“I am aware that the cemetery has now been closed for any further burials, but surely the town has an ethical obligation in maintaining the grounds to a presentable standard, whereby weeds are controlled and gravesides accessible.”

In response, a Warrington Borough Council spokesman confirmed that the local authority is responsible for the maintenance of four cemeteries and three closed churchyards in Warrington.

Warrington Cemetery on Manchester Road (Image: Google Maps)

These are supported by a three-weekly grass cutting programme, as well as staff regularly inspecting and emptying all bins.

“Warrington Cemetery supports a number of different burial plots, with varying maintenance regimes within these areas,” the spokesman said.

“Some areas of the cemetery are unable to be maintained with the three-weekly grass cutting programme due to the layout and design, and these areas are cut using strimmers twice a year.

“Alongside this, weeds are regularly managed throughout the cemetery by a programme of weed spraying, which was last carried out in March 2022.

“Unfortunately, Warrington Cemetery is susceptible to a more robust weed called mares tail, which starts to grow in May, and successful treatment requires the weed to be six to eight inches tall prior to treatment.”

They added: “The second phase of weed spraying started in June and will be completed, weather permitting, in July. Once the weeds have died, plots are strimmed again to clear.

“Permanent signage is displayed around the cemetery advising visitors about mares tail and how we manage it, with additional temporary signage being used within those plots.

“The signs are to try and assure visitors that the site has not been neglected, however appropriate treatment of the weed is required to manage its presence.

“Our teams are aware of the visual impact on visitors and work to minimise the level of upset presented by the challenges of the mares tail weed.”