A COUNCIL'S maintenance of a Darlington graveyard has been criticised after an elderly couple revealed they have been cutting grass at the site themselves for more than five years.

John and Muriel Davies grew so tired of complaining about the state of West Cemetery that they started visiting every week with gardening tools to tidy up their son's grave.

Mr and Mrs Davies, both 73, even mow the grass and polish the headstones of the six surrounding plots to keep the place looking presentable.

Mr Davies, of Pilmoor Green, said Darlington Borough Council's Street Scene workers strim the grass but leave piles of rotting cuttings lying on the graves.

"I dont want to get anybody into trouble but it is terrible what they are doing," he said.

"They only want their pay cheque at the end of the month, they don't take any pride in their work.

"We have been going to the cemetery for years and it was lovely at one time. Now it is in a terrible state."

Mr and Mrs Davies' son Bryan died in 1966 because of a hole in the heart. He was three years old.

"It's not something you ever get over, so we still visit and we like to keep the place as tidy as we can," said Mr Davies.

"The council use strimmers to cut the grass and they blast the cuttings all over the place. "Grass ends up sticking to the headstones, and when it's left in clumps it begins to smell.

"I used to go down to the Town Hall to complain and I was always told something would be done about it. In the end we just asked them to leave it alone so we could do it ourselves.

"I used to use a push mower but it got too much for me as I got older so I use an electric one now.

"My wife and I will be buried there one day, and when we go there will be nobody to keep the grave tidy. It will all go to rack and ruin."

A spokeswoman for the council said: "We are aware of problems in this area and are working to solve them."