A MOTHER has spoken of her anger after residents said a St George's flag on the grave of her football-loving son was inappropriate.

Heather Holmes said the flag was a temporary tribute and should be left alone.

Her son, Andy, died in a car crash on the A61 near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, on his way home from work, in October last year.

The 24-year-old was buried in the cemetery in his home village of Brompton, near Northallerton.

Relatives visiting graves in the cemetery raised their concerns about the flag with the parish council.

Members discussed the issue at their monthly meeting on Tuesday night, but did not say the flag should be removed.

Mrs Holmes said the matter should not have been raised in the first place.

She said: "I do not want to cause any trouble, but he was a 24-year-old boy who loved football.

"Why could he not have a flag? It has not even been a year since he died

"Everyone I have asked in the cemetery said it looks beautiful.

"He was such a huge football lover and was a massive Sheffield Wednesday fan."

At Christmas, the family decorated the grave with a tree.

In March, Mrs Holmes was told by the village burial board that she could not have kerbstones and gravel on her son's grave because such features were ruled out in the 1950s.

Concerns were also raised about the number of floral tributes being left on the grave because it was felt they were making grass cutting difficult.

Mrs Holmes said: "My son was born here and was christened here. If I had known there was so much aggro, I certainly would not have buried my son here."

Councillor Barbara Slater said she had been duty-bound to raise the flag issue because the concerns were brought to her. At Tuesday's meeting, she told Mrs Holmes: "With regards to the flag that is on there, it could be an issue if it did get caught in machinery.

"We have to look at everyone. We are responsible not only for the upkeep of your son's grave; it is everyone who is visiting there.

"No one has put pen to paper to make a complaint. I asked them if it is a complaint, could they put it in writing. They said no, it is just an observation."

Earlier this month Mrs Holmes, her husband, Stuart, and their other son, Daniel, opened an aviary in memory of Andy at the Falcons of Thorp Perrow centre, near Bedale,